Tune of the Skylark
by Mapping the Soul
Summary: To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. [M/M relationships. Rating may go up. Slight AU. Cross-dressing Hibari. D18. More warnings inside.]
1. Chapter 1

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Prelude**

She pressed her chest against his back and hugged him tightly, showering him with the same warmth and kind words to keep him going, but Hibari was long passed that. He was no longer the child she still often mistook him for. He sat completely still, as she spoke and only when she stopped did he reach his hand up and pulled her arms off his shoulders. There was a frown on her lips as she fixed up his attire and brushed carefully through the fine and thin raven hair, to leave no knots.

"You don't have to do this," he said softly, because until they parted, he was still her servant, "I can do it myself."

She shook her head, "Silly. I always thought that one day, I'd send you off, marrying a good woman… I… I'm so sorry, Hibari."

He stood up abruptly and looked down at the older woman with a sigh. "I can take care of myself. Within a few months, I'll escape from that place and we'll go separate ways." He was actually happy, despite the unmoving expression that plagued his face. "I won't owe you anymore."

There was a moment of evident shock but she nodded and smiled at him. Hibari was never the type of person to run away and he always made sure to return his debt. This time, he was seeking out his freedom and he couldn't care less for the man that she called her father. Hibari did this for himself. He knew what he was getting himself into and he knew that he would be able to find a way out of it. He was actually pretty efficient as well. This was two birds with one stone.

"You look beautiful," she whispered gently.

Hibari stood up in the kimono and wig that masked his true gender. When they were beckoned, he pulled the veil over his face and walked with her behind him. It felt slightly odd to have her do so and with her head lowered, but he repeated to himself that this was also for her—the last thing that he would do. They took the ride together, but he showed up at the new residence alone. Hibari exited the car to take in fresh air, but he found that his breathe was stuck in his throat.

It was the grandest scene Hibari had ever witnessed in all his years. It was the largest estate in miles and the entrance was lined with flowers and dangerous men decked out in jet black suits. Hibari stood in awe as the man with golden blonde hair and marble topaz eyes started to walk towards him. The Don was flashy without any intention but Hibari still took a step back for safety. The man flashed him a charming smile and then slowly, caressed his cheek with a gentle touch.

"Welcome to the Cavallone family," he spoke gently, as if Hibari were fragile. "If you need anything please feel free to let us know—we—I can't have you feeling uncomfortable, now can I Chinatsu-chan?"

"Satou, if you would," Hibari replied in a slightly higher voice his normal. He did not understand how the Italian man can be so familiar upon the first meeting.

"We'll work on that," he smiled brightly, "But first, let's get you inside."

Hibari nodded and followed with slow, careful and calculated steps. He was not used to receiving a bow everywhere he walked but he had to give the man credit for making him feel right at home. Not a whisper was uttered behind his back as he passed the hallway to his room. Hibari was sure of it, because of his exceptional hearing. Even the sound of a falling leaf could wake him from his sleep after all.

"You must be tired," the head of the family said with a smile as they came to a halt, "This is your room. Let's sleep separately until you become comfortable, okay?"

Hibari's eyes darted and in the unguarded moment, the head of the Cavallone family attempted to steal a kiss from his bride to be. Although slightly distracted, Hibari's reflexes were still top notch. He pressed his palm against the older man's chin and pushed his face towards the ceiling. With a small smirk playing on his lips, Hibari slipped through the door and allowed it to shut softly.

"Until I become comfortable, right?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

* * *

**Chapter One**

The announcement of the wedding date did nothing to deter. Instead, more girls seemed to flock around Cavallone the Tenth, in hopes of catching his attention so that he would toss the bride to be away. As flirty as Dino Cavallone was, he was careful not to cause any trouble. Now that he was promised, he was extra careful with everything he did. However, no matter what it was, his bride to be didn't seem to mind. Every time he looked, Hibari just coolly was strolling the garden in a different kimono. Rumours reached Dino's ears but it didn't seem to faze Hibari at all.

"Natsu-chan," he had shortened the alias in less than a week.

Although irritated, Hibari forced a smile to his face and lowered the hand that was holding onto Hibird and turned to stare at the man that was looming over him. Hibari hadn't expected to actually see the Don up close so he didn't bother with the annoying make up Satou Chinatsu had told him he should use, nor did he fix the wig to his hair properly. The wig wasn't glued as tightly as he wanted now that Dino Cavallone was standing right before him.

"Please call me Satou," Hibari replied in a polite manner as he counted down how many days left he had to keep up this act. "Cavallone-san."

"You're so polite, Natsu-chan," Dino smiled took a seat next to Hibari. "Why don't we talk a little? You're so quiet all the time; I don't think I know any more about you other than your name, age and family."

"You don't have to go out of your way for someone like me, Cavallone-san," Hibari said softly, still trying to sound as feminine as possible. "This is just a financial marriage after all."

"I don't see it like that at all," Dino shook his head.

Hibari turned away with an irritated frown. He had hoped to turn off the conversation but Dino was a surprising man. The knowledge he had obtained from Satou Chinatsu didn't seem to be enough to cover these grounds. When Hibari allowed silence to take over, Hibird flew around him in a circle and landed on his shoulder, rubbing at his cheek affectionately. For a moment, he forgot where and who he was supposed to be, until the bird opened its beck and spoke to him fondly.

"Hibari! Hibari!"

"_Sh—_"

"Hibari?" Dino questioned with both delight and curiosity, "Is that your lover's name?"

While Hibari panicked, the bird flapped its wings frantically in denial, "Hibari! Hibari!"

Hibari reached out to choke his bird but was halted by Dino's larger hands. The Don smiled as he captured Hibari's slim fingers and picked the bird up gently. He rubbed his nose against Hibird's yellow fur and gave it a light, affectionate peck. Seeing Hibird return Dino's affection, Hibari turned away with a sigh.

"What's his name?"

"Hibird," Hibari answered, thankful to finally be off topic.

"The 'Hi' taken from Hibari?" The Don questioned, "Is Hibird a gift from your lover?"

Hibari sighed and did not bother to argue back. The man was insistent on his view. Hibari only reached out to take Hibird back into his hands. He patted the little bird gently and stole glances around the garden. It had been a week but Hibari already wanted to leave. Most of the time, he spent his time studying the mansion thoroughly so that he could make his escape. Dino frowned at the lack of interest. Not used to having the attention diverted away from him, Dino cupped Hibari's chin and turned his face so that their eyes would meet.

"I apologise, Natsu-chan," he whispered with a weak smile, "I cannot allow you to go back to your lover. We will marry."

"My sentiments exactly, Cavallone-san," Hibari lied with a smile that seemed more of a smirk and got on his feet, "Is it okay if I stroll the town today?"

"Of course," Dino said with a smile in his voice. "Would you like an escort?"

Hibari held back a mocking chuckle. "Is that really a question?"

Dino's eyes widened for a short moment before he forced a smile to his lips. He shook his head but didn't answer the rhetorical question. Hibari gave him a look that said _I knew it_ and took slow steps towards the exit of the mansion to wait for his escort. He could choose to escape right now, but it would be a tad too troublesome. Hibari enjoyed challenges, but escaping in a kimono without any money or contacts for the matter—especially in a place like Italy, would be straining. Aside from that, he was certain that one week was not enough for the _real_ Satou Chinatsu to make a perfect escape. The least that he could do now was find his way around town so that he would be able to plan a little further ahead.

"Personally?" Hibari questioned the moment he spotted Dino.

"Think of it as a date," Dino's lips played a grin, "How about we start there? I've heard from Romario that Japanese girls are quite reserved."

"And I've heard," Hibari smirked in return, "That you're quite incompetent without your subordinates. Is it really safe to call this a date?"

"I'll be fine," Dino hid the shock with a charming smile. "May I hold your hand?"

"Try and I'll bite you to death," Hibari blurted out impulsively.

Before he could clasp his mouth shut, Dino was chuckling and patting Hibari's head gently. He was speaking in Italian and then some nonsensical Japanese that left Hibari with a quizzical expression but instead of answering, the older man simply pulled away and beckoned Hibari to follow. Dino was amazed at Hibari's concentration. His bride to be looked at everything intently and if looks had strength, Dino felt that everything could be knocked out of the way with a single gaze.

"Is it really that amazing?" He asked with a low chuckle.

Hibari turned to answer but ended up giving a low scoff when the Don tripped on his own feet. Although his knee was still throbbing, Dino lifted his head immediately to catch a glimpse of the rare laughter that had managed to escape Hibari's lips—he didn't bother to think that it was meant to be mocking. Dino just made sure to capture every moment and every motion. He started with the fluttering of Hibari's eyelids to the smile that was pulled across Hibari's cheeks as the chuckle was drawn from the thin, pink lips. Pretending to brush his eye free of the tear that had formed, Hibari offered a hand.

"Need some help there, Cavallone-san?"

"Oh, thanks," he smiled as he took the hand that Hibari had offered.

The warmth that Dino felt was retracted the moment he was back on both feet. Dino would have been amused but by the fifth step, he had managed to knock into a whole stand of post-cards and fell over along with it. This time, Hibari frowned instead of chuckling. He didn't think that the rumours about the Don's uselessness were true, but there was no denying it now. How could a man fall twice in less than five minutes when there was really no reason for it?

"I think the one that needs an escort is you, Cavallone-san." Hibari offered his hand out again. He'd do it himself if it meant that he'd have peace and quiet to observe his surroundings and possible escape routes. "If this keeps up, I don't think we'll get anything done."

"But you said you'd bite me if I held your hand."

"I won't, since I'm the one doing the holding." Hibari sighed, "But you will owe me one for this."

Dino jumped at the chance immediately. He brushed the tip of his fingers across Hibari's wrist and then slowly laced his finger in between Hibari's thin and fragile ones. He sealed in the warmth by curling his fingers with Hibari's and forcing them to stay that way with his strength. Hibari stared for a short moment before he turned his attention back to his surroundings to distract himself from odd way that another person's skin felt against his. Hibari didn't have a preference but the sensation was odd and the feeling was unsettling.

"Would you mind…" Hibari almost didn't want to ask because he hated asking favours. "Taking me to a small clothing store? I'd like to—" he almost sighed _find some clothes that would make my escape easier_, "Find some clothing for winter in Italy. Kimonos just aren't suitable."

Dino's excitement level seemed to double as he dragged Hibari around. Hibari just followed along, eyeing things that were cheap and black, just because that was how he had always liked to dress. Hibari took a few things with him into the changing room to have his hand free for a short moment and just measured the clothing to his body. Taking off the kimono that he had put a lot of effort into fixing to perfect fit would be a pain and a waste of time. The clothing didn't matter much anyway. He went for the stretchy type of material that would give him the most comfort. As soon as he could, he planned to strip himself of the feminine clothing that were meant to show off curves that his body did not have.

"Is that all you're buying?" Dino inquired casually as Hibari exited.

Hibari nodded as he placed the items on the table. He watched as the sales staff eyed Dino while attempting to wrap up the clothing. As much as he had seen Dino's face, it still amazed him at how beautiful it was—and Hibari felt that a man, if called beautiful would be offended, but personally, Hibari was starting to feel sick of it already. It had been a week but the man's presence was suffocating with the overly friendly attitude and unnecessary affection. Hibari held back the urge to bite and kill just because it was still within his duty.

"I don't need much," Hibari explained. "I've some other clothing in my luggage as well."

"Let me get that for you," Dino offered.

Hibari pushed his hand down and painted a grin across his face, "Do you buy clothing for women often, Cavallone-san?"

"Eh—"

Hibari placed a bill on the counter as Dino was distracted and parted his lips to string a sentence together, "Do you know what they say about men who buy clothes for women?"

Dino stared at the pretty face, quite bewildered. The smile on Hibari's face right now was so beautiful, he felt as if his bride to be was glowing. There was something endearing about the way Hibari seemed so confident that he felt drawn in. He waited patiently for Hibari to part the pink lips again, but by that time, Hibari had grabbed the bag of clothing and walked to the exit. Dino hadn't realised he had been played until Hibari stepped out of the door and turned, this time, definitely glowing with the sun rays highlighting the beautiful features.

"It means that they want to take it off," Hibari finished as he mused over the words he had often heard told to the real Satou Chinatsu.

* * *

A big thank you to **Stajny-chan** for the favourite, **cake house and latte**, **lady necromancer**, **Scarletblood21** and **ariviand** for the follow! Another big thank you to **Hibari Mayumi **and **SkylarkRequiem** for the favourite and follow and finally, thank you to **euphoria .loves** **.yaoi **(apologies for the spacing, for some reason when I put it all together, it won't save) for the favourites, follows & reviews on Tune of the Skylark and my other stories. I hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 1!


	3. Chapter 3

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Romario watched as Dino flipped the pages without reading them. His boss could be carefree and easygoing but when it came down to work and the family, he always took his work seriously. However, the man that had cleared all of the Cavallone debt seemed to have disappeared over the week. He was always gazing in the distance as if conflicted. Romario would have liked to assure the boss that it would be okay if he didn't want to marry but Dino had already firmly agreed that it would be for the best. Personally, Romario felt that Dino was a little too young for marriage but in their world, it was the norm.

"Boss," Romario called out and shook the blonde, "Are you alright? You keep zoning out."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Dino waved his hand in dismissal and printed a goofy smile across his face.

He was still thinking about Hibari's words, long after their date had ended. When Dino contemplated it, he realised that his bride to be had hit the nail on the head and with great strength at that. He couldn't remember a time when the clothing he had brought for women hadn't come off—by his hands of course. He didn't know whether to say that Hibari was sharp or well versed but Hibari was definitely interesting.

"Have you finalised the guest list for the engagement party?" Romario questioned. "The invitations are ready to be printed."

Dino's eyes widened for a short moment before he shuffled through the files that were piled up on his table. Romario picked up the papers that Dino had shoved aside and stacked them up again. Right now, Dino Cavallone was just careless, not clumsy. By the fifth time Romario had grown tired of crouching and then standing. He was only saved when the Don had found the paper and was scanning through the list.

"Hm…" he rubbed his chin as he went over it again, "Does Natsu-chan not have any guests?"

Romario looked over the Boss' shoulder and raised a brow, "Just her parents?"

Dino sighed, "I'll ask her later."

The blonde went back to work. The new mindset allowed him to work thoroughly through the papers. Romario went back and forth to bring him coffee as well as to report on Chinatsu's status. When Romario returned again, Dino decided on a Japanese style dinner instead of the usual Italian. Though it was amusing, the distaste for coffee and bread on Hibari's face had become disturbing. Dino realised that he wasn't considerate enough of Hibari. However, no matter how much he neglected his guest, there was not a single complaint, aside from the usual threat that he received when he was overly friendly or physically too close.

"You really like Satou-san, don't you?" Romario smiled as he watched the small smile form on the Don's face. It was definitely rare. "I'm glad to see that."

"She's interesting. I always thought I'd be forced to marry a boring person," Dino grinned. "Have you ever met a person who threatens to bite someone to death?"

"Satou-san is probably the first." Romario managed a chuckle.

Dino mused over the thought of the lover and frowned for a short moment. At the moment, he like Hibari as a person, but for the sake of ties and family, he accepted the fact that they may grow to hate each other. They would definitely go through with the plans for marriage even if it meant that they would live without love. For Dino, marriage did not necessarily need to be based on love and Hibari's sentiments were seemingly the same. Dino didn't feel that he had to worry at all. Hibari went along with all of Dino's request so long as he was given his personal space. The Don had found the behaviour odd at first but once it became routine, he brushed his suspicious thoughts aside.

Dino finished up filing the last report for the day and grabbed the guest list with him to the dining room—the smaller one, because the larger one seemed too grand for Hibari's taste. The smaller figure always seemed uncomfortable in the large amount of space and the many maids and butlers that were around. When they had dinner in the larger dining room, Hibari's expression was never good and sometimes, Dino even felt a murderous intent from the smaller body.

When Dino entered the dining room, he was surprised to see that Hibari was no longer in dressed in the usual kimono. It was a refreshing sight but it was also scary to see how thin he was. Hibari's pale skin stood out against the black material of his clothing. Compared to the bright and colourful kimonos, Hibari actually looked dangerous enough to prove that the murderous intent Dino felt might not have been an illusion. Dino almost sighed when he spotted the chest—Hibari was flat as he should be, being the male that he was.

"Natsu-chan," Dino waved brightly as he sat down, "I'm sorry I've been unable to keep you company today."

"I appreciate that," Hibari informed as he looked at the table. _Chopsticks?_

"We should have Japanese food for a change," Dino smiled, "I'm sure you miss it… though I can't promise the same authentic taste… since my decision was delayed. I apologise for being inconsiderate."

The same expressionless face plagued the skylark's face as food was served. Only when he picked up his chopsticks did a dim grin surface. He had gotten sick of milk tea—which in his opinion tasted quite bland and boring—coffee and Italian bread all of the time. The feel of the chopsticks in his hand, gave Hibari the control that he liked to have and it was reassuring, even though he was technically still held captive. He could have fooled himself into thinking that he was back in Japan but there were too many distractions. Hibari wanted to enjoy his meal in peace but the sound of Dino's chopsticks continuously clicking and clanging at the plate annoyed him.

_Herbivore_, he thought as he lifted his gaze and watched as Dino struggled to grasp the idea of chopsticks. If he remembered correctly, the man had spent time in Japan before. Hibari could not see what was so difficult about it. Hibari tried to ignore it but with such sensitive ears, the more he tried to block out, the louder the sound seemed to be. Finally the skylark snapped. He set his chopsticks down and pressed his hand against the table to stabilise himself as he stood.

"Cavallone." He said firmly. The tone of authority reigned as if he was back in Namimori as the Discipline Committee President, "I'm only going to teach you once."

Dino didn't even realise the informality of the way he was addresses as he watched Hibari take light steps towards him. Everything about the way Hibari moved made Dino's heart ache. Every step was bringing them closer but every gesture told him that he could _not_ have what he was seeing. Dino felt the unspoken challenge again and he was stuck on a stalemate as to whether he wanted to take that up. Dino was sure that Hibari had another witty—violent rebuttal waiting for him. Hibari on the other hand, wasn't aware of it at all. He was just himself, when he didn't have to speak. Chinatsu once called him asexual but he never actually grasped the meaning behind the term. The skylark had no interest in such things.

Dino stiffened the moment Hibari came close. Even though the back support of the chair separated them, it was more than enough that he could smell a mix of green tea, shampoo and Hibari. The aroma of food was drowned out just like that and Dino felt that he could just drown in the scent that was purely Hibari. Dino could not tell whether it was lust or something other. Perhaps it was just the thought of a challenge. Dino had never been rejected before. He was brought back to reality, when Hibari sighed and took the chopsticks into his hand.

"Like this, okay?" Hibari questioned as he showed Dino how to hold them, "Oi, where are you looking at?" Hibari heaved a silent sigh as he remembered he needed to be polite. "Please pay attention."

Dino chuckled the tension away and attempted to pay close attention. He moved his eyes from the pale wrist to the fingers and tried to memorise the way that the chopsticks were handled. It looked much easier than it seemed, Dino was almost fooled into thinking that it was going to be possible in one try. However, when Hibari passed the chopsticks back, the image disappeared from his memory and he was at a loss as to what he ought to be doing. Hibari picked up the chopsticks as soon as Dino dropped them and wrapped his finger around Dino's hand.

"Try anything and I'll bite you to death." Hibari warned out of habit when he felt Dino move.

Dino chuckled, "Keep threatening me like that I just might develop a fetish just for you, Natsu-chan."

"Don't waste your time, I'll make sure the first bite you kills you," Hibari smirked and pressed his fingers against Dino's skin to help him comprehend the way his finger should be position. There was still some struggle on Dino's side but Hibari was already sick of the contact. He hid a sigh and let go once Dino had secured his grip. "If you keep that up, you should be fine in no time."

The lithe body pulled away from Dino and he instantly felt the cold seep in. Dino gripped onto the chopsticks tightly as he watched Hibari made his way back. His eyes travelled from top to bottom and then finally settled on Hibari's hands. He watched the way Hibari held the chopsticks carefully and tried to imitate. After gaining a proper grip, Dino smiled and enjoyed his meal with fewer noises than before. Hibari seemed at peace without the distraction, but Dino knew that he'd have to break the silence.

"Natsu-chan," Dino spoke softly as he set his chopsticks down. "I wanted to ask you something about the guest list."

Unintentionally, Hibari snapped the chopsticks in half and was forced to quickly put it down so that it was out of view. He kept up the slightly higher tone, but this time, he was just Hibari. "I don't like crowding so don't worry about my guests."

"Crowding?" Dino questioned at the odd Japanese term.

Many things about Hibari confused him and he was not sure whether it was his lack of Japanese knowledge or whether it was something unique to Hibari. A good example was the threat of being bitten to death. However, if it was a Japanese thing, Dino had a lot to learn and he should get on it fast so that they don't have problems popping up in the future.

Hibari sighed. "I don't like being around many people." Suddenly the thought of guests clicked and prompted him to question exactly how many were going to be present. "I hope that guest list of yours isn't more than half a page long, workers included."

Dino stared at Hibari, hoping to find any hint of a joke but the expression on Hibari's face was focused and certain. There were no hints of playfulness or doubt. He watched for changes but there were none either. It wasn't a feasible thing for the Cavallone family. They had many ties and many members. It was an impossible request and Dino did not know how to inform Hibari of that. He had thought that it was obvious. Hibari frowned at the sudden silence and went back to eating. He wanted to avoid the crowd but didn't want the discussion to force him out of his character.

"But—"

Hibari stared blankly, his gaze silencing Dino. "I was joking about the guest list being that short but, I don't really have anyone else to invite."

Before Dino could say anymore, there was a knock on the door. Hibari turned to gaze as it slipped ajar. Romario bowed his head with an apology and informed the Boss that an emergency meeting has been called for. Sighing, Dino placed his chopsticks down and stood up abruptly. When he passed by, he rubbed Hibari's head, planted a light peck on the raven locks and apologised for cutting their conversations short. Hibari gave him a curt nod but nothing more. Only when Dino disappeared with Hibari drop a sigh of relief—he had almost pulled out his twin tonfas to break the blonde's jaw.

"What an annoying man." Hibari muttered as he exited the dining room.

With light steps and caution, Hibari made his way towards the garden again. He decided that it was the best place to start planning his escape route. From what he could remember from that one trip outside, the wall behind the garden was the most isolated. Hibari sat down quietly at the bed or pink roses and allowed Hibird to slip through his sleeves. He pressed his finger against his lips and sent the little bird off. The upcoming engagement party was going to be a problem. He needed to leave before it, but he couldn't leave if she wasn't safe yet. The skylark was annoyed at his only choice of waiting for Hibird to return but he told himself to hold it together. Once he got out, it'd be complete freedom to keep order in Namimori for good.

* * *

Welcome new readers & guests! I totally forgot that there are guest readers too, so I apologise!

A big thank you to **euphoria .loves** **.yaoi **it's great to see you back and thank you for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying their interaction! I was worried about interaction the most since full length/short stories are not my strong point. I hope I'll be able to keep it up!

Thank you to new followers and favourites from: **KatoKimeka-chan**, **Maeve zahra**, **Mishera**, **ThePhantom1412**, **papyrusforest** and **TheFangRegalia14**. I hope you are all enjoying the story and that Chapter two was enjoyable too!


	4. Chapter 4

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Dino flipped the envelope again and again, but still couldn't decide what to do with it. Before Hibird managed to return, there was a letter addressed to Satou Chinatsu from the man named Hibari. Heaving a deep sigh, Dino shoved the letter into his pocket and decided that he would confront his bride to be for the final time. It was not going to be persuasion. He was going to make it a final decision for the both of them. Before he got down to business though, he decided to make use of his playful mood. A grin slapped itself on his face as he approached the smaller figure in the garden in attempt to try and scare Hibari. It'd be nice, he thought, to have Hibari launch at him for protection.

However, Dino didn't even realise that the plan had backfired even though his cheek was now bruised and burning. Hibari had stood up abruptly and defended himself with the twin tonfas. It was an automatic reaction but when he noticed that it was just Dino, he quickly hid his weapon and forced a frown. He felt so good, being overpowering and letting his limbs stretch; it was hard work to put his desires away. Dino was rubbing his cheek as he got to his feet, not noticing that a single thing was amiss.

"Your hands… are rough," he frowned as he looked around the garden, "I didn't mean to scare you like _that_."

"You didn't scare me," Hibari said quietly to hide the scoff that threatened to surface. "It was instinct. I've had some combat training, though I do feel I might become dull if I don't have a sparring partner."

"So that was a weapon just now?" Dino exclaimed, "You hit me with full force didn't you?"

Though the man was still useless in his eyes, Hibari saw no reason as to why he should hold back against the Boss of the Cavallone family but he could not say that for sure—_yet_. He wanted to challenge the man to a battle one day, after hearing about how strong he was—when his family was around anyway. Hibari didn't mind that thought in the least. Should anyone try to intervene, he would gladly take them out as well. First though, Hibari needed to gain some sparring partners so that he could see the strength of Dino's family members. Once that was determined, he could decide how much strength he would need to put into the fight and how much he would need to reserve for the journey.

"What brings you to see me, Cavallone-san?"

Dino flaunted a smile, "Does a man need a reason to see his bride to be?"

Hibari clicked his tongue in annoyance because he did not have an answer for that. After a moment of silence, Dino settled down beside him and pulled the letter from his pocket. When he thought about it, Dino believed that his bride to be was rather bold and daring, to be giving the address to the lover like so. However, that was what made Hibari interesting.

Hibari seemed to care nothing for rules and regulations of what a _relationship_ contained. Hibari failed to see things any other way than his own. Dino honestly didn't mind at this point. He was actually glad to have a woman stand up to him and treat him like a normal person. And if he was in love and not infatuated, Dino might have cared a little more. He held up the side with the name of the addresser and continued to smile.

"Your lover is a bold man," Dino said gently.

Hibari narrowed his eyes for a short moment before he struck the Don again with his tonfas and took the letter into his hands. Hibari was swift in hiding both the letter and the tonfas. It was so quick that by the time Dino had blinked twice, he was questioning whether the act of violence had really taken place. He was taken by surprised though, not at the fact that Hibari was so violent about getting the letter, but rather at the strength and speed. He felt the danger and the challenge, but Dino could never raise a hand against a woman. He backed down quickly and smiled fondly.

"Let this be the last time, alright?" The Don spoke firmly, a tone he often reserved for his family. "I'll find you a sparring partner. I'm glad I'll have a bride that can protect herself… it'll lessen my worry in the future."

"Heh," Hibari scoffed quietly to himself, "I won't be in that future."

For a very short moment, Hibari felt that Dino Cavallone deserved a better woman—not that he was willing to fill that spot. Dino was kind enough to give warnings and he went out of his way to deliver a letter which could sabotage his plans and reputation. Hibari had a hard time trying to understand the herbivore, but then again, he never tried to understand any weaklings at all so there was no reason to start now. However, the skylark could say for sure that Dino was an annoying man, with his kindness and unnecessary affection.

"Then, enjoy your flower viewing," Dino said, "I need to get back to work."

Hibari gave a light nod and then turned back to stare at the flowers. Dino was a hardworking man and capable if the news he heard was right. The young man, merely twenty-two had managed to turn all of the Cavallone debt around. Hibari didn't know whether it was an amazing thing, it just sounded like it was. Shortly after Dino left, Hibari also retreated to his room quietly. He ripped the letter open because he didn't know whether it harboured good news or bad ones. He almost felt that it was a wasted trip to send Hibird, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The contents of the letter allowed Hibari to decide to put his plan in action. He decided that he would make his escape three days before the engagement party. That should be enough for the Cavallone family to sort things out. If they were to do that as Hibari hoped, the manpower that could be used to find him would be diminished significantly, given how big this engagement party was supposed to be. He did consider that the possibility of an exact opposite effect might occur and it made him shudder with distaste. Hibari hated to admit it but he was in a foreign country with very limited communication abilities. Perhaps three days was giving them enough time to look for him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, making Hibari jump. He quickly tossed the letter that confirmed Satou Chinatsu's temporary safety into the fireplace and watched as it burned to ashes before answering. The door opened quietly at his call and Hibari was informed that he now had a sparring partner. The skylark was delighted at the pace that Dino had things done for him. It was always quick and precise, but just one sparring partner seemed too little for his liking.

Still, he headed quickly to the empty training room and readied his weapon once the door was closed. Hibari felt like he should have held back but he couldn't help going all out. He needed to stretch his limbs, get rid of the frustration that had built up because of the Don. Therefore, he used the subordinate as a replacement for the boss. He kept Dino's face in mind as he struck and ended it significantly happier than he had been for weeks. It only took a single blow for his sparring partner to stay grounded. Hibari frowned and sat down, perhaps he'd have to have a fight or two with the Boss himself for it to count as actual practice.

"Is that all you've got?" Hibari taunted the young man, "C'mon, get up or I'll bite you to death."

The young man's eyes fluttered open, "M-my apologies, Chinatsu-sama. I think you broke my rib."

Hibari poked the man's rib with his tonfas teasingly, "I guess Cavallone must be capable if he's got subordinates like you."

Before Hibari could heave a frustrated sigh, there was another knock at the door. He perked up instantly, at the thought of a new and stronger opponent.

"Satou-san," Romario said as he poked his head through the door.

"What?" Hibari didn't even try to hide the irritation in his voice.

Romario opened the door and forced a smile to hide his surprise, "Your father is here." He didn't meet Hibari's gaze until he noticed one of their men on the floor, completely unconscious now. "My—um, he's in the guest room and he wishes to see you."

"Thanks," Hibari said slowly as he pushed himself upright, "I can go by myself so… you can tend to him."

Hibari brushed by a shocked Romario and walked carefully towards the guest room. Even with all the effort, Hibari knew that the old man would see right through him. The raven didn't know what to be concerned about with the sudden and new development. However, he believed that something must have happened for the man to show up two weeks earlier than schedule. The skylark was a little upset at the little punctured hole in his plan but there was nothing that he could do until he found out exactly what her father wanted. If it didn't go well, he'd make his escape as soon as possible. That was the only choice left.

The door was opened for Hibari and the man gave him a little smirk when he lifted his gaze. There was a malicious intent Hibari felt as Satou waved him in. His voice was purposefully low so that no one else could hear.

"I thought it'd be you, Hibari-kun."

Cold air left Dino's men frozen. There was an unknown tension in the room that seemed to grow as time passed. However, they didn't voice it and stood by because it was their job to do so. Tea was served raw at Satou's request as they sat opposite of each other. Satou sat with authority while Hibari hatefully played his part. If he could be his usual self he would have dismissed the old man and walked off, but right now he was too heavily guarded and he knew that their secret could not be exposed yet.

_To hell with it all_, Hibari thought for a short moment.

"Enlighten me," Satou smiled and sipped his tea.

Hibari stiffened at the scent and found his words stuck in his throat. Satou was a vicious man when he wanted to be, but Hibari had no idea how the man knew about his dislike for cherry blossoms. He had been fine but now, he often felt unwell when he was around the flower. He clicked his tongue in annoyance when it registered that the treatment he had received may have been temporary. With his illness thrown into the loop, the raven knew that he was at a disadvantage. Just thinking about it irritated him—he was determined not have a repeat of such a scenario. Hibari searched for the source of the scent and found petals in his cup. He was glad that he had left it alone.

"Chinatsu," Satou said loudly with a grin, "Where is he?"

Hibari loathed himself for being unable to do a thing. His limbs felt like jelly.

"If you tell me," his voice is gentle but dripping with malicious intentions, "I won't hurt them."

Hibari managed a hiss in return. "I won't buy that _crap_."

There was another moment of silence before the extravagant person slammed the door open and invited himself in. Dino apologised for being so late to greet his future father-in-law and sat down comfortably next to Hibari. He smiled at Hibari and then joined in the conversation, because he was rather curious after the eavesdropping. Aside from that, he felt like Hibari might have needed some assistance in the situation. If his men felt the awkwardness then Dino definitely felt their little mental war going on.

"Who is _he_?" Dino questioned carefully, "Someone who crossed you, Satou-san?"

"Chinatsu as well," Satou chuckled, "Ran off on her for some woman. It's only logical that I hunt him down... even if I never agreed to such a relationship." The old man paused. "Oh… I hope you don't mind that I'm bringing this up. I can't have him showing up and ruining your special day after all."

"Please don't worry about such a thing," Dino shook his head with a smile, "Natsu-chan and I have gotten along very well lately."

"Oh?" Satou raised his voice, amusement clear in his tone. "I'm glad that's the case, _Chinatsu_."

Hibari opened his eyes slightly, "Hn."

Dino and Satou exchange some small talk before Satou decided to inform Hibari that his wife was going to be in Italy in a few days. He made up excuses and then decided that he would go catch some sleep. Both Dino and Hibari got up to bow their heads respectfully but while Dino did the ninety degree, Hibari barely managed a fourty-five.

They followed Satou towards the door and watched as he walked without turning back. Hibari backed away a little sluggishly when Dino edged a little closer. Sharpening his eyes, Hibari attempted a glare but failed miserably when the older man pressed their lips together and closed his eyes. Hibari felt irritated at his wasted effort of a glare but he made the mistake of parting his lips to bite.

Seeing the opening and momentary weakness, Dino smirked against Hibari's lips and deepened their kiss by slipping his tongue into Hibari's mouth and probing at Hibari's tongue. Hibari's widened when he felt the wet and soft tongue pressed against his and then they became hazed as he felt the world around him spin. An odd sensation ran down the skylark's spine when Dino began twirling and nibbling at his tongue. His knees felt as though they were crumbling, but Dino made sure to wrap his arms tightly around the skylark's waist. The tighter Dino held on, the more Hibari resisted, but Dino only kissed deeper.

Hibari was so cute fumbling in his arms, Dino felt himself smiling even though their lips were still locked. Dino had never felt the need to stay in a kiss for that long before. It was a completely new experience that he did not mind indulging in should Hibari allow it. Hibari was definitely inexperienced but the raven was definitely a quick learner. Before he knew it, Hibari was probing back as if kissing was a battle that he wasn't willing to lose.

When they were finally short of breathe Dino's grip loosened and Hibari found some strength in his legs. Hibari elbowed Dino with all his strength and took a few steps back to ensure his own safety. Never in the skylark's life did he feel so threatened. And now, even though the moment was over, he could not understand it. Dino's scent disappeared and was replaced once again with the aroma of flowers. Sighing, Hibari dropped his head and muttered something inaudible about the flowers.

"I think I'll need to teach you how to kiss," Dino chuckled, "But that was pretty good, wasn't it? We need to show your father that we do really get along."

Hibari clenched his fists together tightly and readied himself to break the older man. He had thought to let it slide because of their circumstances but rubbing it in was pushing it.

The raven shot his deadly glare, "_Cavallone_."

"Shh," Dino pressed his index finger against his lips, "Just helping you out there."

_Foolish man_, Hibari thought but didn't say. "You mean taking advantage of the situation."

"Just a bit," Dino gave Hibari an odd looking wink, "Why don't you sleep in my room tonight, Natsu-chan?"

All of Dino's ideas were absurd in Hibari's mind. "Do you want me to—"

"No, not yet." He answered as he hooked his arm underneath Hibari's knees and gave him a cradle, "I'm a little worried though, you're looking pale... well, paler than usual."

Hibari gave up kicking the moment Dino passed Satou's room. The scent of cherry blossoms was too overwhelming that he felt his limbs turn to jelly in seconds. Dino was smiles all around with Hibari in his arms. The Don was really taking advantage of the situation, being flirtatious and touchy. However, that was a mafia's nature—laws and rules never mattered. The skylark did not understand where the sudden confidence came from. Hibari shot him a glare as soon he was set down on the bed.

"You're really light and small for someone who's in her twenties huh?" Dino smiled.

"What are you trying to say?" Hibari retorted and attempted glare that failed because of droopy eyes. He didn't even bother correcting the older man.

"Nothing," Dino whispered gently and left a peck on Hibari's forehead, "You look tired. Sleep, I promise not to do anything."

Hibari twisted away and pulled most of the blanket over his body. Dino smiled, satisfied as he found himself a spot on the other side of bed. He lay on his side and took slow, quiet breaths, worried that he may disrupt Hibari's sleep. But curiosity did get the better of him. Heaving a low sigh, Dino turned around and watched Hibari's back. His bride to be was indeed small and even more fragile looking that he originally thought.

"Natsu-chan?"

"I'm sleeping." Hibari breathed a sigh.

Dino chuckled at the lie. "Did he really do that to you? Hibari, I mean."

Hibari turned and frowned, "Does it matter? He won't come to disrupt the engagement party if that's what you're worried about."

_I'm already here and I'll personally thwart it_, Hibari thought.

Dino frowned and broke his promise. He reached over quickly and pulled the skylark closer. He squished Hibari in his embrace with great strength. The younger man attempted to push but the lingering image of petals left him weak and powerless. Dino patted his head gently and whispered soothing words in his usual odd Japanese. Hibari's eyes clamped shut after a short while as he gave in. He stayed still for a moment and then dug his head a little closer into the inviting warmth. Dino smiled as his heart jumped.

"How cute," he whispered and gave the raven another light peck before he slipped off to sleep.

* * *

A big thank you to **xXanimereaderfanXx** for the favourite and follow. Also another big thank you to **BakaRirin**, **Paigecat** and **Prose** **Miglia** for the follows. I hope you guys enjoy the ride and the chapter. Reviews are really encouraging so I've managed to put out a new chapter earlier than my expected!

**baku**: Thank you for reading and leaving reviews. I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story so far :3 I hope that chapter 3 lives up to your expectations haha... and thank you for praising my writing, it really makes me happy and motivated :]

**xXanimereaderfanXx**: Hello~ thank you once again for the favourite and the follow as well as the lovely review. I'm glad that you're enjoying it and that you're looking forward to Dino finding out (coughihaven'tdecidedyetcough)!

**euphoria92**: Welcome back! Thank you for letting me know of your opinion on interaction and all, it helps me keep going in that direction! Glad you enjoyed chapter two, so I hope chapter three is just as good! And gah, I want Dino to develop a fetish as well coughcough. Haha. But I feel like he'll really die first.

And on a side note, thank you for your lovely review on **A Storm without Rain**. Reviews like that are really encouraging! Honestly, I was smiling as I read how you felt that it was well written and it brought out my talent! Ah, I feel really bad for Gokudera ;_; when I'm in my angst mood I just... but I think because of my mood, that was the easiest to write out of everything I've posted ; my apologies to Gokudera again *bows*

**Guest (who commented on chapter 2 or 3 according to the layout)**: Thank you for reviewing and encouraging me to continue! Hehe, if Hibari is hot, then I'm glad, because I'm trying to build some coughsexualcoughtension. LOL. Please do come back and read!

**yanquing91**: Hello and welcome to Tune of the Skylark! I hope this satisfies your need for D18 because I honestly thought there was too little of them in the anime as well! Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope you enjoy the ride and if you're in need of D18 doujinshi, I suggest visiting** Insieme Scans** as they scanlate D18 doujinshi (English).


	5. Chapter 5

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Kissing was never a part of the plan but Hibari was not ready to walk away from an insult. Dino had teased him about it and Hibari took on the challenge to improve. He claimed that it was practice (which it was for Hibari, since he was determined to become _better_ at what he lacked) and Dino just took advantage of Hibari's competitive nature. Aside from that, it felt good, so when he felt less selfish than usual, the raven allowed the odd sensation in the pit of his stomach to slip way into nothingness.

Besides that, sleeping with Dino was warmer than anything that Hibari knew. The skylark came to enjoy the way that Dino's body would block the sunlight from his eyes so that he had more time to adjust to the sudden luminosity. He also grew to like how Enzo would snuggle up with him for warmth. Small things found their way into Hibari's heart easier than he liked to give them credit for, but Enzo was just as adorable as Hibird when he wasn't soaked.

Finally deciding that he would get up to prepare, Hibari rubbed his eyes and at the same time, conveniently kick Dino away before he could attempt the—now _usual_—morning attack. As interesting as the sensation was, Hibari felt that it was best not to indulge in it. He was a rather selfish person, but that only applied to fights and order. Nothing else really matter unless he really liked them.

"That's mean, Natsu-chan," Dino cried as he rubbed his jaw to rid himself of the throbbing pain, "I wasn't going to kiss you today."

Hibari scoffed as he stretched. "So you've learnt to fear death?"

"Quite!" Dino exclaimed with a bright smile, "Romario informed me that you'd need a stronger sparring partner… and that you knocked my subordinate straight out with a single blow."

Hibari smirked at the acknowledgement of his skills. "How about we have a fight when we get back? I was told that your subordinates want you to stretch a little."

Dino mentally checked his schedule, "I guess we could do that."

Hibari flashed a minute smile before he returned to his own room. He changed into casual clothing after washing his face and brushing his teeth. There was no need to dress up in the formal kimono and tire himself out in the process if the old woman was going to recognise him with a single glance. Besides that, Hibari was extremely excited about the upcoming fight—he wanted to be able to jump right into it once they got back.

A smirk found its way to Hibari's lips as he heard oncoming footsteps. Taking it as another chance to stretch his arms, Hibari waited for the first syllable to echo before he slammed the door open abruptly. The skylark hid a satisfied smile when the sound of Dino's moaning came through as the door retracted and closed again. As expected, the feeling of control, order and issuing pain gave Hibari the most gratification.

"Cavallone-san?" Hibari feigned innocence, "You really have no presence at all, do you?"

Dino rubbed his nose with a frown, "You have to hurt me at least once a day, don't you?"

"You're just clumsy."

"Well…" Dino smiled and pushed the idea aside. He was sure that he was just unlucky. "There are some friends that I'd like you to meet today. They're coming early to explore Italy."

Hibari nodded even though he was not listening and continued to walk by the blonde towards the car. He had hoped for some more space but Satou sent himself an invitation to sit in the same car. In the end, the skylark was forced to sit between Dino and Satou and although they weren't touching, he felt that it was more than a violation of personal space.

His silence made the whole ride awkward but the raven kept his eyes on the road to study the structures and paths. Besides that, there was really nothing he felt needed to be said between three men. He decided to save his energy on taking in information and having things kept in order. If no words were exchanged, nothing would change and the chance of anything being exposed significantly lowered.

"Natsu-chan," Dino nudged at her shoulders, "We're here."

Marble grey eyes darted around as Hibari took quick steps to exit the car. The airport looked the same as it did when he first landed, but the lightening of day made it much brighter than he remembered. Italian words stood on every sign and there were more people around than Hibari would have liked. However, there was no way for him to pass on going to pick up his 'mother'. Clenching his hands together, Hibari took a few steps to the side to gain some personal space.

"Really not doing well with crowds?" Dino questioned gently.

Hibari frowned and muttered something incoherent to himself, causing Dino to chuckle and Satou to smirk viciously. Hibari channelled his irritation elsewhere, telling himself that he could put it to good use if he were to fight later on, but he was barely holding on. He could feel his hands tremble with both annoyance and excitement as he was lead through the airport. There were so many things around that he could have smashed to bits but he needed to practice patience.

"Are they on the same flight?" Hibari asked, curious as to how long they'd actually have to stay at the people-filled airport.

Dino mused for a short moment, "…I think so."

Hibari shot a glare that went unnoticed as Dino ran off with a frantic wave. He was easily excitable, Hibari noted as he stayed behind. In a very short moment, a number of emotions swirled through Hibari's body. Irritation grew as crowding became evident but exhilaration brewed at the familiar face. He would have been thrilled if the rest of the flock hadn't come. However, he felt that it was going to be troublesome. Having both parties (Dino and those he called friends) knowing each other could prove to be a problem.

"Natsu-chan!" Dino waved frantically as he dragged his friends over.

Satou smirked as Hibari took a forceful step back. Even if the rest were idiotic herbivores, he was sure that infant would recognise him in a heartbeat. Hibari took off at the chance and practically ran towards Chinatsu's mother when he spotted her. He would rather stand by her than to be mobbed by those Dino called his friends.

"She's shy!" Dino exclaimed, making Hibari's brow twitch.

He chose to ignore, telling himself that he'll beat Dino up for that later. He acted the part of a good daughter and helped the lady with her luggage. Their eyes had not met yet, but the moment Hibari touched the handle of the luggage, her voice rang like pleasant temple chimes. Chinatsu was the splitting image of her mother and she took after her mother in personality as well. Hibari often closed his eyes and told himself that they were one so it would be easier to deal with them.

"Oh my, Hibari-san, how kind of you." She chuckled when he ignored. "You're not even surprised."

He frowned at her lively demeanour and shook his head. She did not attempt to converse because the only person Hibari has actually replied to was her daughter. Even then, his words were often sharp and brutal. If it was not for that one time Chinatsu picked Hibari up after his parents had abandoned him, her daughter would now be trapped in a marriage that she did not want. She was certain that even if the skylark was not picked up back then, Hibari Kyouya would have survived. He was a fighter and being alone suited him just fine. There was one thing that she was curious about though.

"Have you planned an escape route?"

"_Escape?_" Hibari smirked, "I can't believe you're undermining me like that."

She chuckled, "I guess 'escape' was the wrong word. You could waltz off right now and no one would be able to stop you."

"Natsu-chan! Why did you run off on your own like that?" Dino's voice is full of worry as he ran up to them. He had claimed that the raven was shy and left him alone but the smaller figure soon disappeared in the crowd and he could no longer spot him. "Ah, good morning ma'am."

Hibari turned away and ignored the question.

"She doesn't like crowding," Chinatsu's mother explained with a chuckle. "I'm surprise you haven't been bitten yet, Dino-san. My, you really are handsome."

"Ma'am…" Dino blushed and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "You're beautiful yourself."

"Flattering words." The older woman replied amused. "I see you're also quite taken with Chinatsu. What an interesting development."

Hibari glared at the old woman who was very clearly pleased. She was smiling and giggling as she walked by Dino and conducted her investigation of their 'relationship'. The raven clicked his tongue at the old woman's habit of inducing herself in drama. It was clear that she had not and was not planning to drop that bad habit. She was probably enjoying the turnout of events and how her husband was suffering in his search.

"Ah right, Natsu-chan," Dino turned, "My friends. Come, I'll introduce you."

Hibari followed with reluctant steps and kept his head held high. He could probably scare them all off with his deadly glare. Dino was oblivious as he introduced his friends. Gokudera Hayato gave a firm greeting but then started glaring once he felt the murderous intent from Hibari's eyes. Eventually, Hibari scoffed at Gokudera and smirked proudly, knowing that there was nothing his junior could do in this situation. Gokudera attempted to light his bombs but was interrupted by another introduction.

"Hello," Yamamoto Takeshi greeted.

He was still his idiotic self as Hibari remembered it. He smiled and laughed as he greeted and offered to shake Hibari's hand. The clueless man never noticed anything amiss, even as Hibari glared and kept his hands by his side. Yamamoto continued to chuckle and lowered his hand.

Sawada Tsunayoshi also offered his hand with the goofy smile that Hibari hated. He shot a glare that was deadlier than his last and the younger man flinched. Tsuna pulled away but kept the smile on his face although he felt the overflowing malicious intent. Something about the girl before him reminded him of Namimori's Committee head and he was beyond scared.

"She's not used to meeting so many people," Dino explained with a smile. "She'll warm up to you."

Reborn snickered. "Ciaossu."

"Infant," Hibari replied in an amused tone, "I guess it'll be less boring for a while."

Dino and Tsuna's family exchanged confused glances but the question remained unanswered. Reborn smirked and both students knew that it was probably best not to ask, but curiosity bit at them.

"As expected of my student," Reborn added fuel to the flame of their curiosity. "I'm proud that you've already gotten onto the task I have yet to set you."

"Eh?" Dino titled his head, "Reborn?"

The Arcobaleno sat still on Tsuna's shoulder and went into a deep state of sleep. Dino sighed at his teacher's familiar behaviour and turned to smile at Hibari.

"You'd probably want to catch a ride back with your parents, right?"

"Yes," Hibari agreed.

The choice meant that there would be less of a crowd, even if Satou was more annoying than the rest of Tsuna's crew put together.

Dino ruffled Hibari's hair, "I'll see you at home then."

Hibari returned the affection with a short nod and shuffled into the car with Chinatsu's parents. Once again, the driver was forced to sit through coldness as the three sat in a deafening silence. Occasionally, Satou exchanged a few words with his wife but Hibari made sure to stay soundless. During the ride back, he kept his eyes shut and took a short nap.

—

"_Wow_."

For the first time in weeks, Hibari actually looked happy. Dino wouldn't even call it happiness. It looked more like being on cloud nine. The blonde thought that it was only going to be a maximum of an hour sparring but eventually he had lost track of time. Hibari had a lot of stamina and still did, although he was feeling slightly weak in his knees now.

"You're good," Hibari grinned, "Don't back down now."

Dino stepped back gently and tripped over his own weapon when Romario closed the door with an apology. Hibari smirked again as he put a halt to his chase. As he had claimed when they first began fighting, the whip did not seem like the ideal equipment at all. In his eyes, it was flimsy and completely useless, especially if the user was someone like Dino.

"Cavallone-san…" Hibari almost sighed, "This isn't—"

"Wait, wait." Dino forced a smile as he ripped his face from the floor, "L-let's take a short break. Some fresh air?"

Dino nearly missed the pout on Hibari's face but completely froze himself as he caught the last of it. He stared intently until the expression had faded. The Don smiled to himself as he offered a hand to Hibari. The skylark knocked it away but walked alongside Dino towards the exit. _Fresh air would be good_, the raven thought to himself, perhaps he would find Hibird in the garden. Romario had just returned and bowed to the both of them.

"My apologies Boss," he said with a deep bow, "There was an important call."

"Oh, it's fine," Dino waved the matter away, "We're going to go for a walk, so I'll catch that later."

Dino had hoped that with Romario gone, Hibari would offer his hand, but so long as they were in the mansion where Dino's men stood at every corner; there was no chance of that. He almost heaved a heavy sigh until a good idea came to mind as they stepped through the main doors that led towards the garden. Dino halted and caused Hibari to turn with a frown.

"What?"

"I promised my friends that I'd take them to explore later," Dino explained, "Would you like to come with us?"

"No," Hibari said shortly and then turned away, irritated and added, "Thanks."

Dino frowned, _thought so_. He lowered his head in shame and followed behind Hibari dutifully. He had lost almost every battle that he had started with the skylark that he was now losing heart. However, without any choices, all he could do was try again and again. Dino was set on winning if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. He had followed Satou's advice carefully and now all that he had to do was surprise his bride to be. Lifting his head with new confidence, Dino took another large step but bumped into Hibari's body instead.

_Oh, is she surprised?_

"What is this?" Hibari almost hissed viciously.

Oblivious, Dino beamed brightly as he dance around the smaller body, "Don't you like it? Your father said that you love cherry blossoms so I had them pl—"

Dino froze as soon as Hibari's legs gave way. The skylark's body looked extremely flexible as Hibari's knees bent and he kneeled over. Everything played out in slow motion and Dino found that his feet were glued on the spot. He did not know what was going on or why Hibari had suddenly collapsed. It didn't even make sense to say that the skylark was finally feeling the after effect of all that sparring. Hibari had looked perfectly fine until they reached the garden. As soon as Hibari landed with a loud thud Dino was able to move again. He knelt down quickly, picked up the lithe body and dashed back through the mansion.

"Romario!" He called out loudly as he found his way towards the bedroom, "Romario!"

"Boss?" Romario questioned but he was already running at the Don's side.

"Na-Natsu-chan…"

Romario just nodded because he could see now what the problem was and how shaken up his Boss was. Romario had to give Hibari credit for making Dino Cavallone panic with the mere act of fainting. It did not seem like a serious matter in his eye. The raven ate in small amounts and worked his body very hard when it came to fights so he suspected that it would be exhaustion. Dino quickly settled Hibari's body down and moved out of the way.

"It'll be fine," Romario said as soon as he checked for a regular pulse.

"Oh… okay." Dino nodded, "I'll be back… gonna get…"

Romario watched as his boss stumbled out of the room murmuring nonsense. He deemed that the Don was more than taken with the raven than he had let on. Romario reached over and felt the skylark's forehead to check whether it was a fever and sighed in relief when he found the temperature to be normal.

"Maybe it is exhaustion," Romario contemplated quietly.

Suddenly, the sound of rustling sheets caught his attention. When Hibari attempted to sit up with a dark expression, Romario felt as though he shouldn't intervene but he could not afford to let anything else happen. The Boss was a scary man when upset and Romario wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Urgh… cherry blossoms," Hibari complained.

"That's what caused your fall?" Romario questioned as he extended a hand to push Hibari back down onto the bed. "Is it an allergy, Chinatsu-sama?"

"Satou's trying to kill me; I'm going to bite him to death." Hibari added, completely ignoring Romario's words.

"Your father wouldn't try such a thing," Romario protested. "Please rest."

Hibari glared and there was another moment of struggle between them. Romario tried to push Hibari back down and force him to rest but the skylark resisted strongly. He was not going to be taken for a weakling. If the cherry blossoms were not in sight, he was going to be just fine. However, in the midst of their struggle, Romario paused to examine his hand and froze up completely. He didn't realise it but his hand had been pressing against Hibari's chest for a while now and he only just noticed that it was undeniably flat.

"You…" he murmured softly, "Are a man?"

Hibari thought about panicking but settled for threatening inside, "If you don't want to—"

The sound of glass shattered from the ajar door and Romario found his body to be colder, like he was now frost bitten rather than frozen.

"What is this?!" Dino roared as he stepped through the doors.

Romario had not lifted his hands from the flat chest and Hibari had turned with a flat stare, not even trying to deny the implications their position was implying.

* * *

**papyrusforest**: Oh! No pressure to leave a review at all if you don't want too. (: Thank you for doing so anyway when you're not comfortable with English. I hope you enjoy the chapter (:

**baku**: Thank you for your lovely review! Ah, I'm looking forward to writing that part too... hehehe... I feel like this is such an evil reply ;_;

**xXanimereaderfanXx**: I'm not very good at sweet so I'm glad I achieved it and will try for more in the future! Thanks for your lovely review!

**euphoria92**: Aw, I was squealing too... writing 'cause I'm really bad at such "sweet" scenes (I wanted to dig a hole and hide later). Honestly, thank you for your review! I'm kind of stuck between two ways of writing the "dropping the bomb" scene so we'll see how we go! On Gokudera again, I'll have to think hard about that! Tune of the Skylark is my personal fix it for the last time I was mean to Hibari so xD!

**Shujun**: Thank you so much for your constructive criticism! I really appreciate it! And I do apologise that the narrative is a little confusing even though I slant it in point of views from time to time. I tried changing it back and forth but that became really confusing so I'll have to ask my readers to keep in mind that it will continue to be third person narrative just like so ):. Therefore it's more of an overall voice and I'm trying to keep consistent but either way it ends up being confusing so I really am sorry but at this point Dino doesn't know yet so please bare with me!

A thank you to **Shujun** for the favourite and follow and thank you to **forgotten music lover** for the favourite!


	6. Chapter 6

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"I won't allow it!" Dino exclaimed even though nothing had been done or said.

Even with his protest, Dino remained completely glued. The swirl of emotions within him stopped him from doing anything. He could not understand the tight feeling in his chest and he felt that it was best to stay grounded until it disappeared. But as long as he continued to look, the feeling seemed to grow stronger. It seemed to pile up until he felt slightly suffocated.

The guilty expression on Romario's face said _something_ but he could not figure out _what_. Romario did not open his mouth to speak and Hibari stared from the Don to his subordinate without a word or change in expression. He was most definitely amused at the turn of events though and that made it harder to keep a straight face but somehow, he managed.

A short moment after the awkward silence seeped in, Romario finally managed to move away. All the shock had turned into fear and he retreated as soon as he could move. The information was still fresh in his head but he could not bring himself to say it. Nothing that he said now could save him from the wrath of his boss' fury. The man was more than furious and the way he stormed over said it all. Hibari Kyouya was now smothered in Dino's embrace with just enough room to breathe.

"I'm fine." Hibari said and for a moment Romario felt that his skin might be saved but there was a hidden message in his next words, "_Nothing happened_."

_Nothing has changed_ was the undertone.

Romario swallowed hard and just nodded when he was glared at. "My apologies, Boss. Chinatsu-sama was trying to get up and leave so I…"

"I was being stubborn," Hibari grinned maliciously at Dino's subordinate. "Romario-san did nothing wrong."

"R-really?" Dino pouted but he could not argue against the expression Hibari was making. He didn't even notice that it was dripping with mischievousness.

"Boss, I wouldn't dare…" _And he's a man on top of that!_

Somehow, the glare that the skylark sent while he was trying to fend for himself had silenced him. The words—_the truth_—that he wanted to tell his boss had clogged up in his throat. He felt even worse at the fact that he could _not_ tell his boss what was going on. Dino was reluctant but with the image out of his mind, he realised that he needed to make sure that Hibari was okay from the fall first. He pushed the raven back down and turned to Romario, not sure if he should show authority to get rid of the awkwardness but the man kept his head lowered and they did not meet eye to eye. Without knowledge of what it was that Romario was feeling, Dino could not make a choice.

"She's fine," Romario said so that Dino did not have to ask. "Just exhausted. I'll go have someone send some water… h—_she'll_ need it."

Romario excused himself and left the two alone. He would have to find some time to tell his boss the undeniable truth. However, that meant that he would have to find the perfect timing so that Dino would listen to him and believe it. Romario was sure though, that as soon as the word Chinatsu slipped out, he'd be silenced—if he was correct in how fond the Don was of the raven. Once the door closed, Hibari pulled away and found space for himself.

"There's no need to treat me like a child over something so trivial." He stated blandly. He did not think that he'd be found out like that. But it was still safe for now. So long as he kept a close eye on that man, things would be fine until he left.

Dino shook his head, "No way. You collapsed all of a sudden. Are you really feeling alright? I can ask R—"

Perhaps Romario might not be necessary this time around.

"Romario is fine, don't reprimand him." Hibari teased.

"Eh—you…" Dino paused. A fascinating sensation ran through his body and sparked his pulse. It seemed to beat a little faster and he was feeling odd again, but could not understand it. "You like Romario."

"I do," the raven grinned teasingly, paused and watched as horror plagued Dino's face. "He's competent."

"Unlike me?" Dino questioned quietly.

Hibari turned away and repeated. "Unlike you."

"That's not good you know!" Dino claimed instantly.

He cupped the raven's chin and turned the skylark's face around gently to meet his gaze. There was a frown on his lips but Dino did not know what it was that he wanted to say. Hibari just stared at him, waiting but as always, not expecting much. So when Dino brushed his finger across Hibari's lips, the raven parted his lips and bit down hard.

"Ouch!" Dino yelped.

The skylark gave a little glare at the lack of blood.

"Don't attack me." Hibari reminded and turned away.

The blonde chuckled heartily. "Right. Get some rest okay?"

"If you get rid of cherry blossoms, all my strength will come back." Hibari muttered, annoyed. "That bastard even used this kind of trick to keep me here…"

"Huh?"

Silence with Hibari was something that Dino had gotten used to. The raven barely talked of anything related to himself and kept his distance well, emotionally and mentally. That was one the reasons why, the Don of the Cavallone was still conflicted with the stance of their relationship. It wasn't friendship and it wasn't love, lust maybe, but… he never did feel a very overwhelming urge to touch the skylark. It sparked every now and then but it was controllable.

Therefore, the blonde could only conclude that with too many things going on his feelings were bound to be a mess. It was even more difficult to understand when the odd and new feelings just kept jumping at him with things popped up. He wished for a short moment that he had not stumbled upon such a scene but then guilt kicked in and he felt that maybe it was best that he knew what was going around in his home anyway.

"Y-you should probably get some rest." Dino offered gently, "I'll let you sleep here alone tonight."

"Do get rid of the cherry blossoms. I hate them."

"Sure." Dino smiled, "I should have realised that your father may have—do you have an allergy?"

It was a half a pity in Dino's mind. Hibari had spent most of his time living in Japan and cherry blossoms were something that the raven would see yearly. Did that mean that the raven was always sick when that time of the year came around? The Japanese loved their cherry blossoms so he felt that Hibari would be very upset that he could not share that interest. However, if the raven were to live the rest of his life in Italy, that would not matter so much.

"Shamal…" he whispered suddenly as he thought of the older man. If Dino could get in touch with the man, maybe they could cure his bride to be. The thought crossed his mind and he kicked it away immediately—Shamal was too… frivolous.

Hibari flinched inwardly. He remembered the bastard and he was never one to ask for favours. He rolled to the side and pulled the covers over his head, pretending to be exhausted. He was better now, but he could almost curse the name that came out of Dino's lips. There was too much of a connection now, he felt slightly burdened with the fact that he may still be found even if he left. He could always take them on, but being on the run or having that feeling was not something that Hibari wanted for the rest of his life. Well, if it was going to be challenging then maybe.

Dino patted the skylark's head gently and exited quietly. He found Romario standing by the door awkwardly. The man looked like he had a million things to confess but Dino simply patted his back and went on his way. Whatever it was that Romario had to say regarding the raven, he did not want to know.

"Let's proceed with the plans to show Tsuna and his friends around." The Don suggested with a bright tone. "What should we show them first, hm?"

"Yes, Boss." He nodded, "I'll prepare the cars."

The blonde nodded again and went to invite his group of friends on a trip around town. He would have personally escorted his future parents in law but they had dismissed him very early on, saying that they were quite familiar with Italy and would enjoy their time alone. Besides that, they often liked to have small chats and tea with their daughter and that almost seemed like the most entertaining thing. While Chinatsu's mother was happy, Satou wasn't exactly on that scale but it could pass for a happy family.

Dino heaved a sigh before he knocked on the door to Tsuna's room and entered when given permission. He explained the situation to his dear friends and waited for them to tell him where they may want to go.

"So… Chinatsu-san won't be joining us?" Tsuna asked.

"No," Dino smiled at his friends, "Not feeling well."

"Oh… you don't need to be by her side, Dino-san?"

He shook his head, "She likes to be alone."

Tsuna chuckled to hide a cringe. They were very much alike that he still felt goose bumps run up his spine. "Much like someone we know… they might get along."

Gokudera chuckled, "Probably 'cause they'd both go their own way."

He gained a hearty laugh from Dino before they're called with news that the cars were ready. While on tour with his friends, Dino forgot about the little incident with Hibari because they were really enjoying it. As they became jolly he felt that his mood was also swept along. While they stop for lunch, Dino attempted once again, to coax Tsuna into becoming the Vongola Tenth. It was always fun to watch Tsuna's reactions because the young brunet often reminded him of himself when he was younger. He also rejected the mafia's way and trained very hard with Reborn before he came to accept his role.

"If you like Italy that much," Dino said, "You could live and work here later."

"Eh?" Tsuna titled his head slightly to the side. He was confused as to what it was that Dino was trying to say. "I'd have no chance!"

"Silly Tsuna," Dino laughed, "If you work hard, you'll be a great Tenth Boss."

"I don't want to!" Tsuna protested instantly with a sigh.

"Still saying that?" Dino frowned, "You're like Natsu-chan. You both have some kind of catch phrase."

"What—"

Suddenly, Reborn cut in, sending both students in shock. Tsuna shrieked and Dino froze momentarily, before he pressed his hand against his chest to feel his heart calm down. No matter how many times it had been, both students could never fully get used to the way that Reborn just popped out of nowhere. The young tutor smirked inwardly at his on-going ability to scare. They both eyed his odd costume and sighed.

"What's it meant to be this time?"

Reborn tossed a bomb their way, "You can't tell? Guess you both need some re-education."

Tsuna panicked and went to look for cover immediately, yelling at Dino to throw the damn thing away. Gokudera, idiotically, tossed his own bombs at it and it exploded on spot, before Dino could even get it a metre away from himself. The Don fell to his feet and then landed with a light thud, completely knocked out by the impact and the smoke. All rushed to his side, each waving and calling out but none of them managed to wake him up.

"Guess we'll have to end this tour short…" Reborn suggested, "Tsuna, you really need more training."

"B-but the bomb was with Dino-san!"

"C'mon, c'mon." The tutor poked his student with his gun, "Help carry him to the car. His fiancée will be traumatized." There was a hint of amusement in Reborn's tone but none of them noticed while they worked hard to drag Dino to the car.

During the car ride, it was relatively quiet. No one was forcing Tsuna to work harder at becoming the Vongola Boss so he was happy to sit quietly. Yamamoto continued to look at the world amazed and Gokudera was fairly quiet himself. But that was how he had been since the moment they landed in Italy. It seemed like he was trying to keep a low profile at all costs.

"Stop zoning, Tsuna. It's not bed time." Reborn reprimanded once the car halted.

"Yes sir!" Tsuna suddenly snapped his neck and jumped right up. His head bumped against the roof of the car and he kneeled back down quickly to rub it. "Ow…"

He stepped out of the car last and while the others were helping Dino inside, Tsuna took a good look at the sky. For a moment, he thought that his eyes had fooled him but when he refocused, the small yellow bird was closer. The bird's beak was moving constantly and he could have sworn that it was singing.

"Isn't that… Hibari-san's bird?" He murmured to himself.

"Tenth!" Gokudera called at the same time the bird opened its beak.

Tsuna also thought that he had heard the bird affectionately call for Hibari as he flew over the garden and into the mansion. However, with Gokudera calling him in such a loud voice, he had a pinch of doubt. He brushed it off when the bird disappeared out of sight and went to Dino's aid. But Romario had smiled and quickly dismissed them. He told them that they were free to do whatever they wished because the blonde would be taken care of.

Gokudera retreated to his room and Yamamoto continued to go around exploring the many rooms of the mansion. Tsuna decided that he'd take a break too and Reborn followed him towards their room. On his passing, he found Dino's bride to be by the door, with the yellow bird settled on his finger. Tsuna felt his heart race with fear and he decided that he'd just walk by and pretend that he saw nothing. However, Reborn was the one that stopped him completely.

"Ciaossu, Hibari."

"Oh, Infant." Hibari replied with the same amount of amusement. There was no need for him to hide in front of Reborn. He'd throw it all away for a single battle. "You're staying in this quarter?"

"H-Hibari-san?!"

The raven allowed the bird to fly inside. "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna took very quick and swift steps back. He didn't know how he had managed it. Usually, he would have fallen to his feet, closed his eyes and began begging for his life. It was unlike him but Reborn had to praise him for the reflexes.

"What… what is Hibari-san doing here? And… and why is your hair so long?!"

In seconds, Hibari Kyouya had pressed Tsuna against the wall and the tip of his tonfas at the younger man's throat. He was not pressing hard but Tsuna was fretting and sputtering nonsense that he himself did not even understand. Hibari's glare and deathly touch was the only things that he could think about. If he was lucky then he'd get off with a single… or a few bites.

"I… I… just… Hibari-san…" Tsuna's voice was shaky just as he legs were.

"Shush," Hibari whispered with a glare, "Satou-san. Or Chinatsu-san."

"R-Right!" The brunet complied instantly. "Satou-san."

"Don't worry Hibari." Reborn only interjected once Tsuna had fended for himself, "We won't tell."

"He won't be able to," The raven claimed. "But that aside, it's nice to see you here Infant. How about a match?"

"Perhaps not today," Reborn rejected swiftly. "You're not feeling well thanks to all the cherry blossoms that Dino had planted."

Hibari nodded in agreement and went on to threaten Tsuna again to make sure that they've sealed the deal. The younger male nodded furiously until interrupted by Romario who stepped out of the room with an 'oh' on his lips. When it was just Romario, Hibari no longer needed to hide. He was completely cool and cold to the subordinate who held his secret but could do nothing about it.

"Am I…"

"It's fine," Hibari said, "If that's all you need, I'll head back to my room." He turned and beckoned for the bird. "Hibird."

Fluttering yellow wings settled on Hibari's shoulders gently. Tsuna had slipped away at the chance, forcefully dragging Reborn with him. There was a small knowing smile on Hibari's lips as he stared at Romario. The man squirmed uncomfortably under the glare and could not find a single word to retort. His flustered face left the raven very satisfied.

"Sleep well, Romario."

Romario frowned at the missing honorific. When Hibari Kyouya spoke like that, he seemed almost like a leader. Of course, he was intimidating, much more than Romario's boss normally, but the long hair and the attire nullified that somewhat. Dino's subordinate held his head up high and stood his ground. Honestly, he didn't know who Hibari was. He could not decide if the Satou family was trying to con the Cavallone or whether they were trying to have the Don killed.

"Chi—"

"That's Hibari-san to you." The raven informed.

He did not like the alias at all and when he was given the chance, he wanted to hear his own name.

"Hibari-san." Romario acknowledged awkwardly. "May I ask… why you are here?"

"What do you think?" Hibari taunted.

"Hi—"

The skylark had taunted with a perfect smirk. He really did prefer speaking with authority. As usual, it gave him satisfaction and left him feeling happier than he normally was. He was also happy to return to his own room on the other side of the mansion. It would a lot more quiet and empty, just to his liking. Besides that, now that Hibird was back, Hibari didn't need Enzo, though it'd be nice to still see him every now and then. He would never say it though. The raven could already see the wide grin spreading across Dino's face and that was just _thinking_ about it. Perhaps he'd take the little turtle with him when he left.

"Hibari, Hibari."

"I know," he muttered to the bird, "Just wait a bit."

The bird rubbed its fur against Hibari's cheek, seeking the warmth and affection that it had missed during their time apart. As if the small smile on Hibari's face was a sign of approval, the bird rubbed again, chirping cheerily until they were finally in the enclosed space of their own. The yellow bird leapt and landed in the palm of Hibari's hands, making way for the message to be retrieved.

While Hibari worked at unfolded and deciphering the message, the bird went on a tour of the room again, as if it was foreign. Soon enough though, Hibird was comfortable enough to sing the Namimori Middle School anthem. The sound of the bird brought more joy to Hibari as he finished off reading the little note that was returned.

"Hibird," The raven called and the bird stopped singing, "It's time for you to start scouting the area."

* * *

**NOTE**: Ahem! I should have updated on the 14th for Val's Day so I'm sorry I'm late! And I have some er, "bad" news? My classes are starting at the end of the month so my regular ~2 week interval updates may change. I'll keep trying to fit it in but I apologise if I'm slower than usual.

All that aside, I wish to thank **RiSa-ChAn017** for the favourite & follow. And thank you for **CrylikeRania** and **Randomness Fairy** for the follow.

**Guest**: Hello and thanks for commenting! (: I'm glad you're liking Hibari's characterisation, because I find it so difficult at times ;_; fail as a writer. Hehe, jealous Dino... more to come in the future? I hope ^-^

**xXanimefanreaderXx**: Ah, welcome back & thanks for reviewing (: hm, not yet but maybe in the future?

**euphoria92**: Welcome back as always & thank you for the review! I thought it'd be fun to bring them in even if it is slightly AU. Hopefully I can make more use of them in the future... but they'll probably all end up bitten huh? I think I've come up with a solution for how my D18 is going to go on after the next few chapters. Ehe, and about our lovely YamaGoku, I guess we'll have to wait it out a bit. _ I need inspiration!

**baku**: Thank you so much for your review and praise! And please do get some rest? (: I'm glad that it's flowing well and hopefully it continues to do so~ I'm getting to the fun part I think? Or I'm having fun so I hope you continue to enjoy!

**RiSa-ChAn017**: Hello, welcome & thank you for the review, favourite and follow! It really means a lot to me (: and I'm really glad to hear that you're enjoying it so far! Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy (:


	7. Chapter 7

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Too caught up in the fun of fighting Dino, Hibari Kyouya completely lost track of time. Suddenly, he was informed that the engagement party was _tomorrow_ and that his dress was ready. He flipped out at the word _dress_ and knocked the Don half unconscious. Dino could swear that he was on the verge of seeing stars.

Tsuna had panicked and almost jumped in between them with 'Hibari-san!' on his lips, but was stopped by a mere gaze. Hibari studied the herbivore and wondered where the improvement came from. Sawada Tsunayoshi had always been the one to run away first.

"Uh… kimono then?" Dino offered after some thought.

There was a short silence before the skylark parted his lips, "Better."

For a moment Hibari was out of it but when he refocused, he realised that he had just promised that he'll be there—at the engagement party. It was impossible to retract his words with the crowd that had witnessed it. Fed up now, with the crowd (even the raven was surprised with his endurance) he had put his chopsticks down and excused himself from the table. Every time Dino said something to him, Sawada Tsunayoshi was giving him an apologetic look—almost sympathetic if he could say.

However, Sawada never said a word (about Hibari's identity), too scared of the consequences. Tsuna actually felt that just by being there, he was treading on dangerous grounds but he also felt safe so long as Dino was there. It was a completely surprising situation to see how tame the perfect was even though he did not know the reasons behind it. He did wonder a few times during his stay if Dino had something on the raven but always tried hard to repress the thought. If Reborn knew, he'd be called on it and trouble would come storming.

Tsuna tried not to think about it too much to avoid giving it away. But it was a pointless worry. Yamamoto and Gokudera were just too slow to notice. Neither could tell Reborn apart in his many costumes so there was no way to tell if Hibari only lengthened his hair. Tsuna averted his gaze again but when he looked up, there was a deadly glare facing him. He nodded furiously at whatever it was that Hibari was trying to insinuate and lowered his head again. He did not have to know, all he needed to do was keep his mouth shut.

"Tsuna!" Dino called suddenly, "You okay? You're always…"

"Fine!" The brunet piped up instantly, "J-just thinking…"

"Alright then." Dino smiled, "Is there anything you guys want to do today?"

"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?" Gokudera pointed out intelligently, "Isn't the big day tomorrow?"

"Right, right!" Yamamoto chuckled brightly, "Or are you not nervous at all?"

"Not at all!" The Don replied with a wide grin, "But you're right. Perhaps it's best to call it an early night…"

The crowd happily sent the blonde off to an early night. Tsuna was horrified at the prospects of becoming a Mafioso now that he saw Dino directly at work. He had never thought of paperwork being involved in a mafia boss' work but Dino proved him wrong. Especially with the engagement party and wedding coming up, the blonde had been working himself much more than he normally would. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush that drove him but Dino did not even notice the dark bags growing under his eyes. There was no way any of the Vongola members could ask him for more than what he'd already given.

"Goodnight Dino-san."

"'Night."

The blonde stretched his arm and his back as he stood up and left with a smile. He heaved a sigh as soon as he was out of his guests' sight. He was tired now that he had no one to entertain and thoughts of the raven began haunting him more as time passed by. He had been on better terms with Romario since. His second in command had been very serious with everything he did and never came in contact with Hibari unless it was absolutely necessary. Soon after, Dino's worry had faded without him noticing. When he picked it up, he realised that he did trust Romario more than anyone else. However, he couldn't bring himself to ask the man for any advice. His pride was at risk.

"Ah," Dino complained, "What did I do wrong now?"

Romario grimaced but dared not voice his opinion. He could not tell his boss that he was doing _everything_ wrong because his actions were targeted primarily at women. Hibari Kyouya did not need any of the things that Dino had to offer. He realised now after reflecting on it, that with everything Dino had done, Hibari was always more amused than happy. Perhaps, that was the only reason that the raven stayed, Romario concluded but kept the thought to himself.

"Uh, Boss—"

"Oh!" Dino exclaimed suddenly, completely ignoring Romario's call, "There she is."

His boss ran off with Hibari's alias on his lips and Romario sighed. He felt so sorry for the man but Hibari was giving him that knowing look again and it zipped his lips instantly. He stood at the door as Dino entered the garden, now completely cherry trees free. Hibird was dancing around Dino when he sat and the Don smiled fondly at the little bird he had not seen in a while.

"Where've you been?" Dino inquired as he patted the bird.

"Hi—"

The raven reached over for his yellow bird, "I allow Hibird to fly far sometimes."

"You're relatively calm," Dino commented loosely.

The skylark did not even bother to sympathize with the blonde. He simply scoffed inwardly and turned his gaze away. Lately, Dino had made a habit of staring at him too much and too long for his liking. It made the raven feel bare and in that way, a little out of control of the situation. Besides that, he could never really relate with the older man. They didn't share the same values or worries. The issue with the engagement party was something that Hibari did not care for anyway.

"Not at all?" The Don questioned again, "How do you remain so calm all the time?"

The skylark sighed. "Maybe you're worrying too much about image."

Image was an important thing to the Cavallone family and there was no way of denying that it played a part in Dino's worry but something about marriage finally clicked. It was a daunting thought, now that everything was just around the corner. He liked being around the person that ignored him most of the time and he was fine with a loveless marriage but something still felt wrong. Perhaps it was the fact that it was early for the both of them. He was barely in his twenties and he still had his doubts about his bride to be real age.

"Perhaps you need a walk." Hibari suggested suddenly.

Dino beamed brightly instantly. "Oh my, are you asking me out on a night date, Natsu-chan?"

The raven clenched his fists and spoke through gritted teeth. "If you must call it that."

As soon as Dino jumped to his feet excitedly, Hibari knew that it was a bad sign. Before that blonde could dash away to call that car, the raven pulled him back by his sleeve. It hurt his pride to act on the helpless side, but for the plan to work, it needed to be this way.

"We'll walk." Hibari offered, "I'll… hold your hand."

Dino fisted the air behind Hibari's back and placed a very wide smile on his face. The raven shook his head but still got up and offered his hand. As soon as the opportunity came, Hibari would make a run for it. It really was now or never—even though this was a spontaneous attempt. It seemed like the opportunity just provided itself and with the hostility that Dino was holding against Romario, the raven knew that this was the best chance.

"Maybe you are nervous after all?" Dino chuckled as they exited the front gate.

Hibari raised a brow, "I'm adding this to what you already owe me."

"I don't mind," the blonde flirted back, "We've a lifetime to fix that."

The skylark's step paused for a fraction and then he forced himself to take a step. He had been saying all of that out of habit but with the way things were going to go, he'd have to dismiss all of Cavallone's debt. A sigh escaped his lips as he thought about letting it all go and he concluded that a safe goodbye would satisfy him enough for it to be a mere passing.

"Anywhere you want to go in particular?"

Hibari scanned his surroundings again. "Anywhere is fine."

Dino chuckled, "Aloof as always."

The skylark hid a scoff and kept his hands by his side until they were out of the Cavallone mansion. Only when Dino could no longer cope with his clumsiness did the raven offer his help. While he held the blonde's hand, Hibari walked while trying to focus his attention elsewhere. There was something warm about Dino—whenever they touched—and it felt dangerous. An odd sensation grew in the pit of his stomach and began to swirl around his body. It was difficult to understand, like most of the more complex things that Hibari did not care for.

"Natsu-chan, you never talk about yourself." Dino pointed out again.

Hibari pulled Dino for a right turn.

"There's nothing to say about Chinatsu," the raven replied absentmindedly.

"Eh?" Dino inquired, twisting his steps so that he would not trip. "Do you not like being… Satou-san's daughter? For example… having your father's name behind you and being looked at for your heritage and not for who you are?"

The raven raised a brow. He did not understand what it was that Dino was trying to say. But after some thought, he realised that Dino might just be the same as Chinatsu.

"Speaking from experience, are you?"

Dino teased in the exact same, disinterested tone that Hibari had adopted, "Sympathetic now, are you?"

The raven scoffed. "Not a chance."

Dino chuckled and tightened his grip on the raven's hand. At least, they were talking more and connecting. When the intersection came again, Dino pulled Hibari for a left turn and from there, they went uphill. The green was dark but the sensation of grass assured the raven that he still knew his grounds and so did not worry too much over the foreign environment. One last step before they reached the top, Dino was saved again, by Hibari who had broken his fall and tossed him onto his butt.

"This makes no difference at all," the blonde complained.

Hibari did a one-eighty turn and took a seat a whole meter away. "I saved your pretty face."

"Oh?" Dino felt like victory had finally come to knock on his door, "You think I have a pretty face?"

Hibari shot a half-hearted glare in his own carelessness. He meant what he had said, but it was not meant to be encouraging. Dino was pretty in his eyes. It was not every day that he met a foreigner with such clear topaz eyes and sparkling blond hair. Sometimes by just looking, the raven was tempted to run his fingers through the blonde hair over and over. It looked and felt soft from his memory. He was beginning to have a hard time dealing with how Dino appeared to be cute from time to time and now, his prettiness slipped out. Hibari wanted to reprimand himself.

"Don't worry," Dino comforted and rested his back against the grass, "Your face is prettier than mine, I assure you."

Hibari smirked. Now they'd be back on neutral ground. "Heh, a pretty face is useless."

A smile formed on the Don's face as he gave Hibari a light chuckle. Dino had finally come to understand the value of silence around the raven. It was something that Hibari appreciated and it showed in the way that the raven would slightly lower his guard. When given silence, peace and distance, the Discipline Committee did not glare and was much easier to observe.

From the corner of his eyes, Dino watched as small emotions swirled across Hibari's face as he gazed at the stars. All the changes were minute and difficult to catch, but he had started practicing and now, he was sure that he could spot satisfaction when he saw it. It was present in the raven's expression right now. The skylark's lips were pulled slightly to the right and it was a very small grin instead of a wide smile, but it was fitting for the pale face.

Turning his head abruptly, the raven caught Dino's stare. The blonde chuckled nervously as he scratched his cheek. Nothing coherent flowed from his lips as he continued to find an excuse. He was muttering nonsense until Hibari narrowed his eyes and forced him to close his lips.

"You feeling better?" Hibari queried to his surprise.

Dino broke out another smile. "Yeah, I always feel calm when I'm here."

"Hn—wah!"

The skylark landed on his back with a loud thud, but his head was cushioned by Dino's arm. The blonde smiled fondly, with Hibari's wrist still within his grasp.

"You should look at it like this," Dino explained, "Won't hurt your neck."

"Wow," Hibari replied amused and made no effort to move. "You sound coherent for once."

"That's development!" Dino exclaimed.

The raven nodded minutely in agreement. Everything about Dino was revealed slowly and almost gently. Dino was just like his image, sweet and gentle. He never pushed too hard or too far with women. There was a clear difference that Hibari could see when Dino was facing his subordinates. Sometimes, when he saw that, Hibari wished that Dino would treat him with more force so that they could have a fair match. A sigh escaped at his thought and it startled the Don.

"What's wrong, Natsu-chan?"

Instead of answering, Hibari Kyouya kept his gaze fixed on the stars. The sky in Italy was distinctly different from Japan's. The colour was different during the day and it seemed liked more stars gathered at night. Especially in this place where there were no tall buildings to cover his view; they were clustered together but also far apart. He saw a range of sights and the constellations seemed to be easily spotted. He could easily understand how this place and this view would calm the blonde down.

"When you're ready, let me know."

The blonde allowed Hibari to shut his eyes for a few moments as he tossed up a few issues that were running through his mind. He thought he would be getting cold feet when the wedding came around but the official engagement was enough to shake him and throw him off his game. Not caring while there was time seemed to be a bad idea now.

An heir was to be born and now, he felt like some love might be necessary. He grew up loved and was now wishing that for his child—if he were to ever have one. Sometimes, he felt like because it was a burden, he may not want to go there. Children needed to be loved and Dino wanted his offspring to be blessed with the affection of both parents. Whenever he looked at the raven, he felt like the chances of that were depleted greatly. The skylark did love small things and that was obvious but… children were a completely different story. It did not seem like Hibari would have the tolerance for all the care that a child would need.

"Natsu-chan…?" Dino averted his gaze and planted a kiss in the raven hair, "Asleep huh?"

Dino gently removed his arm and sat upright to pull off his parka. He draped it over the raven's body and picked Hibari up with a smile. It was probably best to head home and get some proper rest. The princess cradle allowed him to assess Hibari's weight again and it was still as he had first thought. He was sure that they had been feeding the skylark well, but it seemed gaining weight and some colour was impossible.

"Thank you," Dino whispered with a light peck as they reached the bottom of the hill.

Somehow, he managed to get back to town without tripping. It was definitely a miracle. He had almost, on a very small stone but with Hibari in his arms, the Don managed to take a side step and steady his feet. However, only managing to avoid the small accident meant that Dino would be incapable of handling more dangerous situations.

The skylark was always prepared for the worst. He wasn't even really sleeping. There was no way that he could with all the rocking that occurred with every step that Dino took. So he was ready for the little ambush but, in the awkward position that he was in, by the time Hibari had rolled out of Dino's embrace, the blonde was clutching his shoulder. Dino did not even have any time to react as Hibari twisted his tonfas in his hand and delivered precise and cruel blows.

Hibari only ever held back in fights when he was back at school. He punished students for breaking rules but he also needed them to live and learn. This was a different story. He had cruelly crushed them with his tonfas. He tossed his weapon with great force, jumped to grab it back within his grasp and then smashing again at those who came next. This was slightly more satisfying than fighting Dino. He could knock him half dead and not worry.

"I told you to wake me," Hibari frowned as he knocked out the last of them.

As Dino expected, the raven had both speed and stamina. It was only a matter of seconds before Dino felt safe again. The number of assassins was small but they had pretty good timing. Even so, Hibari was better. Such a measly attempt would fail against Hibari. But the skylark was more than pissed off. He had pushed Dino against the wall of an alleyway and looked down on him with an expression that he could not read. He would have chuckled but found that his silence would save him this time.

"Cavallone."

The tone demanded an answer.

"You know… when you're angry you drop the honorific." This time he chuckled and earned a hard punch to the stomach. "Ow…! Hey!"

Hibari kept the frown tight as he knelt and brushed his hand across the graze on Dino's shoulder. He stared at the cut as if it'd break under his glare and fix itself, but it did not. Instead, the raven ripped some material from his thin jacket and wrapped it around the wound, pulled it tightly together and tied a knot.

"Ow… ow!" Dino yelped, "Natsu-chan…"

"Because you're such a herbivore I forgot that you're always being targeted." Hibari muttered to himself.

"Hm?" Dino titled his head and smiled in hopes of getting the raven to repeat—which he never did—but caught his eyes on the uneven cut in the raven's hair, "What happened?"

"What?" Hibari glared, "You hurt somewhere else too?"

"No," Dino said with a shuffle.

The Don switched their position around and pushed Hibari against the wall as a frown played upon his lips. He brushed his finger tips across the pale milky skin of the raven's cheek and frowned deeper as he ran his fingers through the soft hair. The length that he was used to seeing the silky smooth black had been halved. The edgy cut irritated him but he knew to be glad that Hibari was not physically wounded.

"It's just hair," Hibari said when he noticed—just a wig more like it. "Don't cry over such a trivial thing." _It's annoying_.

Dino heaved a sigh as he rested his head on the raven's shoulder. He noted again that Hibari ought to eat more but did not voice that concern. He'd try that one again at a later date. Right now, he just wanted to take in the calming scent that was just Hibari and make sure that the raven was still here.

"Don't cry." Hibari grimaced; he'd never been able to deal with a crying girl, let alone a man. "I'll fix it when we get home."

"H-Home?" Dino stuttered.

He pulled away quickly, eyes gleaming with the tears that he said he didn't have and blinked twice, shooing them away. Hibari frowned at the expectant expression on Dino's face and realised that he shouldn't have said it. But it was habit. The skylark didn't really mean it. Heaving a sigh to brush off the awkward situation that he had put himself in, Hibari pressed his hand against the ground and pushed himself up. Making his way out of the alleyway, he turned back and offered his hand. There was no way he could leave Dino here alone to be attacked. He had gone out of his way to save the blonde after all.

"I'll be the one to personally bite you to death," Hibari muttered to himself.

"Natsu-chan!" Dino exclaimed as he chased cheerily to walk side by side. "We've made some real progress haven't we?"

The raven frowned but offered no more words. It was too easy to slip up. Silence allowed him to think his plan through again. He could always drop Dino back at the mansion and then just leave. He was going to settle for that, but as soon as they turned the corner towards the entrance, Hibari froze, infinitely. He recognised that figure. She lunged at him fast and hard, breaking his connection with Dino.

"Hibari!" She whispered as she held on tightly.

* * *

Thank you for the new favourites & follows following users: **BleachedShadow**, **Fye Chroix**, **otakulollies**, **297327513**, **Bakaberry** & **Senseilolicon**! And thank you for the follows from: **JennyPham7**, **WaterGarden**, **coolgirl027** & **CrysRavon**. Your support is greatly appreciated! Welcome aboard and I hope you enjoy the ride! ^-^

**otakulollies**: Once again, thank you for the fave & follow! And thank you for your comment, it's really kind and helpful to know what I'm doing well! Hopefully I can keep up the dialogue and when it all comes to light, let's knock Dino one ey?

**Baku**: Ah! Welcome back as always! I hope I can live up to your expectations (: *wants to incorporate some action but I fail haha* I hope this chapter helps out some with the questions. I think you can see where it's going to go-ish... I say that but... I'm not 100% on what will come next. Too many ideas jumping up & down but I hope you enjoy this one!

** Guest**: Hello! I'm glad you're enjoying it ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Dino had been punched an extra one that night and knocked off to the side as their visitor held the raven tightly in her embrace. When Dino pulled himself up, he could see the growing discomfort on Hibari's face as all the air was squeezed out of the lithe body but there was an atmosphere that did not allow him to interfere.

Dino wondered if this was a sign. It had happened more than once and when it did the raven rejected him and treated him as if he did not exist. He had been pushed aside and although injured, the skylark didn't even bother to look. Instead, Hibari peeled the young lady off him, placed her hand down by her side and studied her from top to bottom.

_At least_, Hibari thought, _I don't have to take care of any injuries_.

Hibari had parted his lips to scold but no words came. Dino, who had just edged himself closer plastered on a smile and extended his hand politely.

"Good evening." He then turned to the raven, "Did you… just call her… Hibari?"

With the way that the guest's thin and low heels had clipped and clopped as she came approaching and the way that she had knocked him right off his feet, Dino was not sure that he had heard her correctly. But that name always seemed to ring a bell recently.

"Ah! Hibari would be me." She exclaimed instantly. "I'm Chii-chan's friend."

The air around them had suddenly become cold. Hibari had shot a defiant glare but to no avail. Chinatsu was going to take advantage of the situation because Dino was careless and easily taken advantage of (in regards to women at least, after all the only dangerous women Dino had ever encountered was the raven skylark and Bianchi). Dino felt a shiver run down his spine but the raven's friend held her smile perfectly as she returned his gesture, completely ignoring Hibari.

"I believe you are Dino-san?" Chinatsu questioned with a single shake. "It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you."

The raven kept his glare fixed. Chinatsu was the type that liked to play around but usually she knew the boundaries and her limits. What she chose to do was her choice and he had no intentions of intervening. However, he could see that playful glint in her eyes that indicated something a little more than playfulness.

"Please call me Hibari-chan." Chinatsu grinned brightly, glancing at the real skylark, her eyes dancing and her lips playing an amused tone. "I'm sure you've heard about me."

Dino blinked, eyes darting from top to bottom. "Huh… ah… what…?"

While Dino was trying to figure it out in his head, Hibari had whacked Chinatsu one. He had meant to hit hard but he could not do it once he saw the tattered clothing and the bruises that stained her skin. He brushed off the tinge of guilt as he turned to the blonde. The raven wanted to ask but the perplexed expression on Dino's face made him pause for a fraction longer.

_Was it that difficult to piece together, or did the blow to his shoulder somehow reach his head?_

Hibari stared for a while and waited for Dino to snap out of it but his patience wore off rather quickly.

"Cavallone," he paused for a moment when remembered the blonde's words, "—san."

As usual, it made Hibari's stomach churn. The high tone and the honorific were both annoyingly unnecessary in his opinion. And now that Chinatsu was here, right in front of him, he wanted to drop the pretense altogether.

Dino snapped his head and quickly painted a brand new smile to hide his confusion. "Ah… right. What is it, Natsu-chan?"

Chinatsu almost replied at her name but bit back on her lips as soon as Hibari took a step forward and stopped her from speaking. She heaved a sigh of relief. She had wanted to play around but it did not completely commit the plan to her memory. Seeing Dino so flustered and confused was entertaining while it lasted… but 'Natsu-chan' pulled her away from her little game. Only one person called her that.

"My friend," Hibari muttered shortly, "Could she stay with me tonight?"

Dino's eyes darted. He did a half-hearted scan and then nodded absentmindedly. He had hoped for a clearer explanation but at his approval, Hibari shoved him through the gates and followed quietly. The raven's actions allowed no room for questions or even protest. Dino did not feel like he was under Hibari's control per se but there was definitely an imbalance of power in their relationship when the raven wanted something and had to get it.

"Thank you." Hibari forced the words through his throat once they reached the door and dragged Chinatsu in the opposite direction. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Chinatsu replied politely with a bow before the raven shot a glare causing her to shut her lips tightly.

They did not exchange any words due to Hibari's overpowering pressure. But as soon as Chinatsu entered the mansion, she knew better than to let anything slip. Her parents were here, under this roof and there were so many eyes, it'd be easy to be exposed. Though she was glad that Hibari was still around, she was surprised too. She had expected him to leave the moment she gave the okay, but perhaps he was worried that something may happen and choose to stay.

"Hibari." She called as soon as the door was closed. It had been so long since she'd last felt completely safe.

"What?" He scowled as he always did when she had that tone.

She smiled. It was really good to see Hibari. "Sorry… I thought you would have gone. Now—"

"Then don't tell me." The raven interjected.

She nodded furiously in agreement, knowing and understanding. It seemed that Hibari was having a bad day and he wasn't as happy to see her as she was to see him. But then again, the raven never did like crowding and she was no exception. Even though she was feeling upset, she was also glad for the feeling of home. If it was not like this at least, she would not feel at ease.

"I won't," she told him anyway to confirm. "Isn't the engagement party tomorrow though?"

"I'll think about it tomorrow," the raven shrugged. "Your father said a whole bunch of crap so he probably thinks you're into women."

Chinatsu burst into a fit of laughter. She had not realised that her father may have gone out of his way to fabricate a story for his convenience. Perhaps she should have thought more before she spoke but Chinatsu was the type of person who had her mouth running a mile before her brain. Unless she had a plan, nothing ever went right.

Hibari slumped onto the couch and didn't bother to glare. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He told himself that he would plan again later. He crossed his arms and turned away, eyes still closed but he knew for sure that Chinatsu was still squirming uncomfortably on the bed that he had left for her. He thought to leave it but with all the rustling there was no way that he could get to sleep.

Heaving a sigh Hibari prepared himself to scold. It had been such a long time since he had actually reprimanded someone. "Just go to sleep, you can't even do anything until morning."

"Ah!" Chinatsu exclaimed and giggled in acknowledgement of his words. "You're right. Goodnight, Hibari."

Hibari made a small sound of acknowledgement and then closed his eyes for good. The skylark pushed all of his current thoughts aside and allowed himself to sink deeper into darkness. Too much had happened and all out of his control. He needed to compose and brace himself for the crowding that he could no longer avoid.

—

Chinatsu had slept surprisingly well and woke earlier than her usual. The sun was shining in her face. It did not feel like a scorching burn but instead like a warm fire. It was nice but she did not want to move yet. So she twisted around and attempted to bury her face into the pillows. However when her eyes opened slightly, she caught sight of the scissors flying through raven hair. When she registered what exactly was happening, Chinatsu jumped out of bed and reached for the scissors. Efforts at getting it in her hands were wasted but at least she had stopped Hibari from cutting.

"What were you doing?" She asked.

Hibari showed instead of telling.

Chinatsu flinched at the uneven cut and was surprised that Hibari's cheek came out unharmed. She didn't even bother to ask what had happened. Being the daughter of a mafia boss gave her enough experience to make an educated guess. Even so, it was such a messy cut of the wig that it would be hard to fix, even for her, who loved to play with makeup and hair.

"Whatever," Hibari scoffed. "I'll just cut it short and—"

"Don't be silly," Chinatsu said in return, trying hard not to sound too bossy. She liked looking at the raven with long hair. "I'll put your hair up so that it'll be covered. Don't cut your hair yet…"

The skylark frowned. That meant more dress ups just for Chinatsu's pleasure. He dreaded it instantly and wished that he had worked faster but when she was explaining it to him, she had taken the scissors and put it away. _Sneaky as always_, Hibari noted with a half-smile. He was glad at least to see that she was still the same even though she had looked terrible last night. The colour gone from her face had returned and the bright smile that she always had was painted anew.

"Sit, sit." She pressed, dragging Hibari over to the bed. She crawled on first and knelt on her knees as she gathered the strands of hair. "How have things been for you?"

"Fine." Hibari answered shortly and did not ask the question in return, even for courtesy's sake.

Hibari could hear the fake smile on Chinatsu's face surface as she began to hum an old song that he heard every now and then. The raven chose to ignore. He knew that he did not want to meddle in her business any further. They both knew that the debt had been paid off. Chinatsu's choice to come here had nothing to do with him.

"How are my parents?" She asked once she had done a left up-do to cover the edgy cuts in the wig. "Was my father furious when he found you?"

"Even if he was, there was nothing that he could do." Hibari answered and only continued when it was clear that Chinatsu was still waiting. "They're fine."

Chinatsu nodded silently, knowing that Hibari would register even the slightest movement. She pulled some pins attached to her inner shirt and twisted them into the wig. She made sure it was tight and secure before she released her hands to find that she had once again, outdone herself. The up-do was perfectly messy and beautiful on Hibari in the way that it fell on the side, resembling water from a fountain. She held back the smile and the urge to tell him just how beautiful he looked. She didn't want to be hurt.

"All done," she informed and pulled away. "If you need me to fix it up later—"

"I know." Hibari interjected. "I will bring you some food later. You must stay within this room. Do _not_ wander."

"Okay," she smiled and waved him off. "Enjoy."

He shot her a deadly glare and she zipped her lips together, pulling them straight and destroying the smile. He seemed to nod approvingly and patted Hibird's head before he left. Chinatsu smiled again when the door closed and Hibird had flown back to her side. She patted the soft yellow fur and slumped back onto the bed.

"I daresay, Hibari's partner in the future will be blessed." She paused when Hibird nipped at her finger. "Well, if they survive the threats and blood lust first."

This time, it seemed that Hibird agreed.

—

"Oh! Your hair is done up nicely today," Dino acknowledged as soon as he spotted the raven wandering the halls.

Dino liked the way that the new hairstyle brought more light to Hibari's face and highlighted the raven's features. Although pale, the now visible face looked brighter though still slightly gloomy in Hibari's frown. Dino could now see the baby smooth skin that complimented those beautiful grey irises. He felt his mood brighten as he found his way over, completely forgetting that Hibari's silky raven hair was damaged just last night.

"Did you sleep well?" Dino inquired.

"Hn." Hibari nodded curtly.

"Oh, and your friend?" The blonde added thoughtfully. "Hibari-chan was it?"

The raven twisted his body and took a step closer to Dino. Hibari stared up at the blonde with an expression that was unreadable. Only five seconds later did Dino break into a smile and patted Hibari's raven hair affectionately, but also carefully as to not mess up the styling.

"Don't worry," he assures with a knowing smile.

Hibari narrowed his gaze but did not question what it was that Dino actually meant. He had wanted to tell Dino to say 'Hibari-san' so that his name would not be tainted but held it back. He felt that the blonde had somehow gained the upper hand and wanted to avoid a giving the blonde a chance at gaining a steeper slant. He grunted quietly, disliking the thought of joining Chinatsu's parent for breakfast but today was the day. There was no avoiding it—like he had been for the past few weeks.

"Are you nervous _now_?" Dino asked, noting the stiff posture.

"No." Hibari replied dully. "Worry about yourself."

"What happened to all the affection you had last night?"

Hibari halted in his steps again, studying the expression on the Don's face. He almost snorted in disgust—or lack of understanding. Were all mafia bosses' capable of a pout? Dino was also a fully grown man to top it off. When Dino had noticed and attempted to beckon, Hibari had swept his coat aside and dashed by quickly. As usual, he didn't give the Don a second glance if he didn't feel like it (which was most of the time).

"I thought you weren't going to show up," Chinatsu's mother blurted out as soon as she saw Hibari stepping into the dining room. It was too late to retract her statement.

"Why is that, ma'am?" Dino inquired as he stepped inside.

The woman's eyes widened for a fraction and then she chuckled. The smile was warm, but not enough to deceive the innocent blonde. Dino was sharper than she had given him credit for. However, the lady could not help but think that Dino had started to suspect something and it was finally getting on his nerves. The blonde smiled a lot and often appeared to be a little on the idiotic side but he knew the ropes of things. Well, most things. It was still amusing to watch Dino pamper Hibari without knowing anything at all. Perhaps the young blonde didn't have any senses when it came to gender.

"No, it's nothing." She dismissed, "Thought she may have had a little panic attack and refused to leave her room."

Dino pursed his lips as he pulled out the chair and waited for Hibari to sit. The raven muttered a small word of thanks but didn't even flash a smile. Instead, Dino painted one bright enough for the both of them and took his seat. Perhaps, indifference was the only way the raven could deal with all of the issues at hand. Over the past few weeks, Dino had really forgotten about all the things that could have made the skylark get up and leave. He didn't even worry about it, now that he thought of it. Why? It was because there were chances and the raven had chosen to stay.

"Did you sleep well, Chinatsu?"

Hibari raised a brow at Satou's overly caring tone and gave the man another curt nod. There was something about that smile and it was slowly ticking the raven off but there was nothing that he could do at the moment. Deep in the pit of his stomach, Hibari started questioning Chinatsu's presence at the Cavallone manor. Of course something had happened. _What_ was the question and if Hibari really wanted to know he could just ask. However, Italy was not his jurisdiction and he didn't care all that much about it. Chinatsu was still safe—_just_ physically was fine to the raven.

"Nothing to be nervous about!" Chinatsu's mother chirped cheerily, "Just think of it as a normal party."

"There's no need to be shy," Satou added with a grin. "We're becoming family, after all."

Dino was always looking around awkwardly whenever he sat at the table with the Satou family. The raven skylark never said a word unless it was absolutely necessary and even if Hibari did, it was to the lady. It was very obvious that the father and 'daughter' were on bad terms but he could not bring himself to ask. He did not want to become the victim to a pair of tonfas anymore than necessary.

"Oh right," Dino said to change the topic. "I believe your relatives are coming shortly. Would you like me to arrange—"

"Not necessary," Satou interjected. "We've arranged escorts and cut down the numbers. An important job came up. You know what that's like in our world…"

Hibari Kyouya narrowed his eyes and simultaneously sent chills down Satou's spine. It had been a while since he had had to look into such cold and unfeeling eyes. He knew his words were provocative but he did not think that he would earn a glare like that in front of Dino. But Satou went on smiling even if it was wry. Challenging Hibari Kyouya was somewhat amusing and thrilling. He had to keep face and he knew that he had the upper hand so long as they were at the Cavallone manor.

"I understand," Dino replied. "But if you ever need anything please do not hesitate to say so."

"Of course." Satou smiled in return.

"Be wary of the Discipline Committee Head of Namimori," Hibari finally spoke up in warning. "Harm the citizens in that town and you'll regret it."

"Oh!" Satou exclaimed, a playful gleam surfaced in his eyes. "I almost forgot. That person has been a bit quiet lately… probably lost his _bite_."

Hibari squeezed the tea cup in his hands tightly until his knuckles turned white. That was his warning and if the man chose not to heed it, he would have to suffer the consequences. Even if Hibari was away from Namimori, he would always come back. And once he was back, Hibari intended to make sure that nothing unsightly would be overlooked. Silently, he vowed to make sure to destroy them as soon as he returned home. He knew that he would have good reason to. He would make Satou eat his words.

"Huh…" Dino murmured, looking around the table.

He never understood the little inside talk but this time he did catch the word Namimori. If that was the raven's hometown (Dino never did look too deeply into the file) then he wouldn't have any problems taking the raven with him on his trips back to Japan. After all, that was where Tsuna and his guardians would be gathered and trained until they are ready to take over Vongola. However, the Don could not fully understand the conversation.

Who was this Discipline Committee Head? Was he that powerful? Did he need to be feared, even by yakuza and the mafia?

Dino's eyes darted across the table but Chinatsu's mother smiled brightly, pretending that she didn't hear and turned to her husband to start a small conversation. Giving up on the elders, he turned to Hibari who had silently turned away and stuffed some rice into his mouth and chewed slowly to avoid answering. The blonde frowned. He could never get a proper answer out of the raven for anything.

"Natsu-chan," Dino said finally. "I'll go ask my friends you know? They're citizens of Namimori."

"Try." Hibari dared and continued to eat in silence.

Dino sighed and earned a chuckle from Chinatsu's mother. She went on to say something about it being a normal occurrence before Hibari stood up and excused himself. Dino was used to it now but seeing it on the day of the engagement made his stomach churn. True to his word, Hibari did not seem the least nervous. The only difference was the very small and well hidden pout on his face whenever he thought about the number of people that would be gathering.

"Don't worry about her," Satou said, "She's just sulking because she's not in control."

Dino nodded absentmindedly and then paused. He glanced around the table but it seemed like the words had not even slipped out of his future-in-law's lips. He saw power and potential in the raven but he never did see the need for control. Dino went through his set of memories and shook his head. There was nothing of the sort, but then again, perhaps he had not been looking very carefully from the start.

"Ah…" Dino sighed out loud.

"Don't be nervous," Chinatsu's mother assured him again. "Breathe."

Dino nodded reassuringly. His nervousness had flown away since the night before. What he felt now was just a lack of understanding. The raven's mood changes had become more evident. Perhaps it was because he mentioned the friend but Dino could never be sure with the skylark. Hibari was always on and off, just like last night. Dino had felt warm and all he could feel now was coldness.

"Thank you for the meal," Dino said politely in his still awkward Japanese as he clamped his hands together. "I have some preparations to make so I will excuse myself first."

"All right… we'll see you later." The couple nodded.

Dino smiled and then went on his way. Outside the door, he was greeted by Romario who slapped the documents into his hand. The blonde nodded approvingly, gave Romario some brief instructions and retreated to his study. He pulled the curtains apart and placed the paper on his desk as he slipped into the chair. He was a bit late, but Dino never really had time to do his research. From his sources and informants, he was sure that the Satou family was trustworthy. Well, they would not try anything against the Cavallone so openly. Becoming an ally sounded like a better deal than becoming an enemy.

Dino skimmed through the information he knew and took a look at the things that he was unsure of. The profile photo had him a little conflicted, but Japanese people looked pretty much the same to him. Of course, the raven had said the same thing to him at one point. It was probably due to the fact that Dino was not exposed to the Japanese environment all the time.

There was also the fact that this was a rather old photo. The smile that was in the photo was unsettling. Dino wondered if they were the same person but the thought of aging and changes hit him before any other arguments could try to overthrow it. He could see the minor differences in hairstyle, length and colour. Perhaps it was the lighting in the room and the settings of the camera.

"Hm… I'll—"

A knock on his door stopped him from voicing the rest of his thought aloud. He invited his guest inside and smiled when he saw Tsuna. He waved the young brunet in affectionately and invited him to sit. It was actually a good opportunity. Dino was going to take on the challenge. Only he had no idea he was asking the wrong person. Tsuna would be the very first person in Namimori to submit to the perfect.

"What is it, Tsuna?" Dino inquired warmly. "Did you need something?"

"Oh," Tsuna smiled, still standing and scratched his cheek. "I just wanted to apologise on Gokudera-kun's behalf. He's feeling rather unwell. Well, actually Bianchi finally figured it out and chased Reborn here. As soon as Gokudera-kun saw her he passed out."

"Ah…" Dino grimaced and nodded with sympathy. "That's fine. He can rest up."

Tsuna thanked Dino with a bright smile instead of saying anymore. He stole a glance at the paper work on the blonde's table and noticed that it was a photo of one of their students. He recognised the uniform—it was the old one—but not the name or the face. Looking at it more carefully, he realised that the girl had graduated approximately six or seven years before he had even started. He was concerned about the file though. He knew that the school perfect hated people meddling in Namimori's issues.

"What's wrong, Dino-san?" Tsuna asked, in his usual concerned tone.

"Sit, sit." Dino urged with a smile. "I just have a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

"If it's about taking over Vongola I'm not doing it." Tsuna blurted out immediately, shaking his head and waving his hand to protest.

Dino laughed lively, all his stress flying away. He waved his hand dismissing Tsuna's protest. "We won't talk about that today. Don't worry."

"Oh… okay," Tsuna sighed in relief and allowed a smile to wash over his face. "Then… anything I can help you with!"

Dino beamed brightly as he reached over and patted Tsuna's head, thanking the brunet in advance. Tsuna felt slightly queasy on the inside but did not question it too much. Dino had always been bright and happy from the moment that they met. The man was a rather kind boss, not what he had expected of mafia… but perhaps that was because he was still young. Nonetheless, Tsuna was happy to have Dino as a friend and if he could help then he'd try.

"So, what is it?" Tsuna questioned excitedly. The prospect of not being Dame-Tsuna for once was just so… exhilarating.

"I haven't had the time to looking to this personally," Dino explained his situation. "But I heard that there is a 'capable' person in Namimori."

Tsuna furrowed his brows in confusion but allowed Dino to continue with a nod.

"I believe that Namimori has… a Discipline Committee Leader that's feared by all, mafia included." Dino added and wanted to say more but stopped the moment Tsuna turned as white as his bed sheet. He stood up, leaned over and waved his hand in front of the potential Vongola Boss' face. "Tsuna?"

Dino even nudged but Tsuna did not even blink. His lips parted slightly and he swallowed hard.

"Tsuna…? You 'kay?"

Even Dino was panicking at this point. Tsuna continued to open and close his lips but nothing came out of it. He could not understand what was so scary about a leader. Sure Tsuna was kind of a coward right now (Dino believed, without a doubt that it would change after Reborn's training) but what could be so daunting? Personally, Dino did not think anyone could be worse than Reborn, especially if the hit man was in his Spartan mode.

"Tsuna!" Dino nudged again, causing the brunet to panic and fall out of his seat.

"Ah!" Tsuna snapped his head up. "Sorry… what were you saying?"

"Namimori's feared Discipline Committee Head." Dino stated.

Tsuna nodded his head slowly to inform Dino that he understood and was now taking the time to think it through. He knew exactly what it was that the blonde was asking. For once, Tsuna had wished that he was a little slower. He feared Hibari Kyouya but Dino was almost like family now that he was in this position. As he took a deep breath, Tsuna thought about it again.

What was it that Dino wanted to know? Why was he asking? Is Hibari's cover busted? If it isn't and Tsuna spilled the beans, would it be the end of him?

Tsuna contemplated the last question that roamed his mind. If it ended, did that mean that he would not have to become the Tenth Vongola Boss? He almost jumped for joy but then realised that death would be the end of everything. That meant that before he could land in Japan and say goodbye to his mother, he'd be eating dust and dirt.

"Tsuna… you feeling okay now?"

"Yes!" The brunet exclaimed.

Dino snorted. "I'm not going to hurt you, don't panic."

"That… that person is very strong. We don't speak of him." Tsuna sputtered, trying to find an excuse. "He… has exceptional senses… erm… its best not to talk about him. He'll really hunt you down and…"

Dino nodded along with every word until Tsuna stopped. He waited but concluded that he would get nothing more. He understood the fact that it might be daunting if Tsuna was that scared to speak up. Ruffling his hair with a smile, Dino offered his hand to Tsuna and pulled the young boy back to his feet.

"Thanks for telling me," Dino told the young one with genuine gratitude. "I appreciate it, Tsuna."

Tsuna nodded and lifted his head at the same time that Dino had turned back to his desk. Out of nowhere, Reborn popped out of the drawer, once again, scaring both of his students. Tsuna had unconsciously grabbed onto Dino in fear of being discovered by Hibari. He could not even heave a sigh of relief when he saw that it was his tutor.

"W-what is it, Reborn?"

"You're asking about that guy right?" Reborn questioned with a smirk.

While Dino nodded, Tsuna was in the background panicking and making a very large X with his arms. He was shaking his head furiously too, trying to communicate to Reborn the fact that he had tried very hard just now to escape the talk. He was mouthing too, 'didn't you promise Hibari-san that you wouldn't tell?' but the hit man remained firm, not even giving him a second glance.

"You'll meet him properly soon," Reborn teased. "He'll become one of Tsuna's guardians."

"EH?!" Reborn's students exclaimed.

It did make sense for Reborn to want a strong person to be a part of Vongola but… to Tsuna it was unacceptable. There was no way Hibari Kyouya would agree… if they were talking about the same person.

"You'll meet him soon." Reborn reiterated, hiding a snicker. "I'll probably have you train him."

"I… see." Dino nodded.

"Well, now that you're satisfied, get going!" Reborn said, pointing his gun again, "Don't you have some things to check before the party?"

Dino jumped at the thought and then bid his goodbye before he ran off on his own, calling Romario's name. Tsuna had finally let himself breathe again but he did send a glare Reborn's way.

"You almost scared me to death!"

"I would have shot you then," Reborn grinned. "C'mon, let's go check on Gokudera."

* * *

**A/N:** *grovels on the ground* Please forgive me guys! I'm so sorry for this delay in "movement" but I promise you next chapter it comes to light! That said though, I'll apologise in advance if I don't get the chapter out on time. University is getting _very_ hectic. With this long chapter please forgive me for the lack of personal replies as well, I'm really short on time but I'd like to thank the new faves, follows & reviews! My heart flutters every time I discover new readers ~ so thank you for joining me on this trip!


	9. Chapter 9

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Hibari returned to his room after sparring with a towel draped over his shoulder and the kimono he was to wear in his arms. Chinatsu turned to him with a very bright smile and waved him over excitedly as soon as she saw the lovely silky material. Hibari glanced at the table and was glad that she had finished but instead of voicing his relief, he brushed her off and tossed the kimono across. As usual, Hibari made no effort to come any closer.

"Come on, Hibari!" She beckoned.

Hibari did not even bother to shuffle in his seat. "You wear it."

"Don't be silly!" Chinatsu exclaimed. "I'm not the one going to the party."

"No…" Hibari refused. Then, after a moment of silence, the clicking in his head allowed a grin to surface on his face. "You're here to stay."

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. _How did he know?_

Reading her expression easily, Hibari smirked, satisfied. "If that's the case, start today." He reached and pulled the wig from his head and tossed it aside. "I will rest and get ready to go. You attend the engagement party as planned."

"Hi-Hibari!" Chinatsu stuttered with her hands waving frantically, "That… that's not—"

"I'm going home." Hibari said firmly.

The perfect plan had just popped up in his mind. The small but vicious 'heh' that had rolled off Hibari's tongue caused Chinatsu to flinch. He had figured something out and he had planned to use it to his advantage. Chinatsu had rushed over to the couch and got onto her knees. Her long jet black hair danced and only sat still when she finally stopped moving about in her panic.

"But… but!" She wailed. "Hibari! You…"

"I don't care for your plans." Hibari pointed out. "I told you I didn't want to know. You are here with the knowledge that you won't leave. Does it matter if it happens sooner?"

Chinatsu frowned after parting her lips several times but was unable to come up with a retort. Hibari would see through her lie. Hibari felt that it would be a situation where he could kill two birds with one stone. There was no need to give into her mock whining. He was not going to play along with another's plans any longer. The raven skylark was itching to make Satou regret pissing him off.

Unable to get Hibari to move, Chinatsu knew that it was impossible to get him to think it over. The raven had always been pretty firm with his decisions and right now, she owed him nothing. Heaving a sigh, Chinatsu eyed the kimono again and turned back to the napping raven. She had attempted to nudge but retracted her hands when his brow twitched. While he slept, Chinatsu fixed up her appearance and got ready for the party that was scheduled to start at five.

"Hibari." Chinatsu called out gently while keeping her distance. "Hibari."

His eyes fluttered open and he shot a glare.

"The party will start in five." Chinatsu informed. "When are you leaving? I'll try to help and distract the crowd."

Hibari went through the rough plan that he had thought up and then glanced at the clock. "Fifteen past."

"Okay!" Chinatsu replied cheerily with an awkward smile.

She was already feeling lonely. Hibari could tell from that awkwardly lopsided smile but he made no effort to point it out. Instead, he yawned, dismissed her and then closed his eyes again. Just as Hibari drifted off to a light moment of shut-eye, one of Dino's subordinate had knocked on the door.

"Bye, Hibari." Chinatsu waved lightly as she walked towards the door.

The Mafioso probably had a lot of them so Chinatsu hoped that this time, the one that came to get her, had not yet met Hibari. There were clear differences when one knew what to look at. But to be safe, she kept her face lowered, covered her face with her palm and gave a few fake coughs here and there.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

"Ah, I'm fine." Chinatsu replied with a clear voice, "Nervous, I guess."

The man decked out in black gave her a knowing nod and continued to escort her. Swirls of worry twirled within Chinatsu's stomach. Unlike all other natural leaders that she had met, it took a while for Chinatsu to fully adapt to a situation. Hibari was taking it easy, not worrying about a single thing but Chinatsu was the exact opposite. She knew that if she saw Dino, he'd notice right away. While she fretted over it, she was lead right to the door to the Cavallone manor's dance hall.

"Here we are ma'am…"

"Oh yes!" Chinatsu beamed, "Thank you…"

Dino's subordinate flashed a smile and then proceeded to open the door for her. The place was jammed packed so Chinatsu was thankful, but the thought of Hibari being in such a place sent her shuddering. The raven skylark would have flipped tables and bitten at least one person to death the moment the doors were closed. For once, Chinatsu actually felt like she understood his policy not to crowd.

The decorations and lights were enough to be blinding and the amount of people just seemed to increase as she ventured deeper into the hall. It was a good thing that it was so packed because she could just delay her appearance for as long as she needed. However, that did not change the fact that it was beginning to become overwhelming. This was what it probably meant to be in the Cavallone family. Chinatsu felt a shiver run down her spine when she thought about the things her father might want from all the connection, power and influence.

"Natsu-chan!"

Hearing Dino's familiar voice from behind her, Chinatsu swiftly dodged the encounter. She slipped through a couple standing next to her and waltzed to the other side of the dance hall. Perhaps it was because Dino had chosen the kimono that he had been able to spot her so well. Chinatsu was slightly taller than Hibari (only because the boy was merely fifteen years of age) but their build was almost the same. She had styled her hair differently, hoping that he would not spot her so soon.

_How did such a handsome man manage to get away from all the girls that were ogling at him anyway?_

Chinatsu placed a hand on her chest and hoped that her racing heart would slow down. She exhaled a sigh of relief when she had found a group of people her father had invited and joined them. She could only hope to blend in where others dressed in Japanese kimonos too. Hiding behind the tall and bulky man, Chinatsu poked her head out and scouted the area. _Good thing for the crowd,_ she thought while her hair was being ruffled.

"Huh…?"

"You look good, _cousin_." He chuckled. "I thought you would have made a run for it before the party. Don't tell me you're trying to get out now."

Chinatsu shot a sharp glare with her dark brown jellies and then frowned. "Shush. Don't draw attention."

"Why not?" He asked, innocently. Chinatsu readied herself to answer but her cousin had raised his hand high into the air and used that very loud voice that she hated. "Oi! Cavallone! Over here!"

"Damn you!" She cursed, jabbed the man one in his stomach and turned to run for her life.

"That way, Cavallone!"

Chinatsu clicked her tongue as she glanced back and kept pushing forward. Now that she was desperately trying to run, it became hard to slip in and out with the crowd hindering her. She had tried her best but in the end, she was still caught by the collar. Although Dino's grip had been gentle, Chinatsu couldn't help but feel her irritation increase.

"Natsu-chan!"

"Ah… good afternoon," Chinatsu said slowly while trying to remember what it was that Hibari called the blonde. It definitely was not Dino and probably Cavallone but did the young one add honorific to that?

"Hm? Did you grow?" Dino questioned, twirling Chinatsu around on-spot.

"N-no, I didn't," Chinatsu replied with her face lowered. "H-have you seen my parents?"

"Last I saw them…" Dino looked around to hide his surprise. He didn't think that the raven would suddenly ask for the parents that she had been running from for the past few months. "Oh, there they are."

"Thanks!" Chinatsu exclaimed while trying to make an escape.

"Your voice sounds weird…" Dino commented while following, "Is your throat okay?"

Instinctively, Chinatsu had turned and placed a very bright smile on to shoo away Dino's concern. She only realised her mistake when the Don stared at her wide-eyed and sputtered incomprehensible syllables that refused to string together the words that he had wanted them to. Even she found herself copying his actions just because she was that speechless. Old habits really died hard.

Dino blinked, hoping that it was just his eyes, but his voice asked for a confirmation. "Hibari-chan?"

The person before him was so much brighter than he had remembered her to be. Of course, when he saw her last night it was dark and she was dressed shabbily but she had given off a decent kind of feel. He could still feel it but there was also an odd familiarity about her. It made Dino feel irritated. Deep down he knew that the answer was there but for some reason, he could not dig it up.

"Ah…" Chinatsu waved her hands weakly, "Good afternoon, Dino-san."

Dino was looking at her in an odd way, made her uncomfortable and she twisted away from some space. She threw him a quizzical expression but he didn't register that. The information that he was trying to put together was clashing. Dino threw out the question without much more thought. Perhaps this person would be able to give him some straight answers.

"Were you really dating, Natsu-chan?"

Although she still heard about it from Hibari, the thought was still absurd. Just thinking about it made her crack in laughter and allowed the dimples to shine. "Of course not. Don't be silly Dino-san."

"Do you have an older or young brother?"

Chinatsu answered automatically. "I'm an only child."

She clamped her mouth shut while Dino muttered something to himself and wondered to herself, how she could be out, yet in character.

"So…" Dino said gently, but held a strong grip on her shoulders. "You're just friends and being who she is… she won't hesitate to leave you and just… go off on her own?"

Chinatsu took her time to process the question but before she had even given an answer, Dino had dashed off. The answer to that question was obvious. Unlike Chinatsu who hesitated with most things, Hibari Kyouya didn't succumb to anything. If he wanted something he'd go for it and if there was something he was unhappy with, he'd voice it (under most circumstances).

"_Shit_," Dino had cursed under his breath as he pushed through the crowd.

He could hear the girl call for him but he wasn't even listening to the words that she had strung together. Soon enough her voice was drowned out by greetings that rushed at him as he passed. He flashed a whole set of different smiles as he continued through the hall. At least, they hadn't done the introductions yet. He was just glad that he had figured it out. Hopefully, he will make it on time but—what was it exactly that Dino wanted from the raven skylark?

His steps slowed momentarily. Dino's purpose seemed to disappear as he continued to dwell on it. He stopped completely when he realised that he had nothing to hold the raven back. Dino did not have feelings to hold the raven back. They didn't share any kind of connection that gave him that leverage. The raven's kindness was a fleeting thing and could not be taken for granted.

But, there was obligation. Dino did not like the idea in the least but he didn't have a choice. Not tonight at least. Dino found his way again, back to the skylark's guest room and hoped that Hibari would still be there. In his mind somewhere, he wondered if he was overreacting. The raven did not like crowds so perhaps he was simply taking a nap and having his friend take over. Even then, shouldn't Hibari have dropped a word of notice?

Dino brushed the thought off shortly after he arrived at the door. He never knew what it was that the raven was thinking. All he could hope for was that he'd be able to string the words together and finally get a real answer.

Not even waiting to catch his breath, Dino pushed the door open without bothering to knock. In the middle of the mostly white room, there stood the raven—beautiful long hair gone—flaunting off his beautifully pale and smooth skin. Hibari stopped his hands and turned to stare at the intruder. He sent his tonfa before the glare. Reflex kicked in and somehow, Dino had managed to slam the door close again before he was knocked by Hibari's weapons. However, he did catch sight of the way the pants had pooled at the raven's feet and damn…

Now, he regretted not catching his breath. He was completely short of it and in a state of complete shock. His head throbbed as he tried to process the thoughts but they kept jumping from one place to another.

_Did I see boxers? Was that a bare and flat chest I saw? Well… Natsu-chan has always been small…_

Dino threw his forehead against the wooden door thrice and then pulled away with a pout while rubbing his forehead. At least it was confirmed that he was not dreaming. Perhaps he was delusional due to stress. Dino wanted to believe as much but the voice that came from the other side of the door kicked him pretty hard. The tone was not that of the normal 'Natsu-chan'. It was icy and cold. This time, he was just 'Cavallone' and the raven wasn't even upset.

"Move before I break the door down, Cavallone."

Gathering both his wits and his courage, Dino pushed the door open, stepped inside and closed it again. He studied Hibari from top to bottom again, hoping to make sense of it but could only think of how the short cut and the suit looked good on the raven skylark. _God_, Dino thought and mentally slapped himself, _what the hell am I thinking about at a time like this?_

"What?" Hibari raised a brow.

Scratching his head violently, Dino tossed up some of his options and then just went for it. Dino just pressed his hands at Hibari's chest and groped. Dino hesitated at first when he allowed the thought of his misconception to slip through his mind but he became bolder when he realised that he was not wrong at all. There was nothing there but bones. It only made Hibari's thinness more evident.

"Cavallone." Hibari said in warning, brows twitched and irritation seeped through in his tone.

The blonde forced a smile onto his face but did not pull his hand away. It was not until he sensed lethal danger that Dino attempted a duck. He folded his knees and dragged his hands downwards, pulling the slightly loose trousers down with him.

"Oh yeah…" Dino commented when faced with the dark blue silky material. "They're boxers alright."

He could not even laugh at the position he was in. He had just been giving too much information in a matter of minutes. Dino's expression was fixed with concentration and curiosity. He still could not completely believe it. His hand had floated out to touch—_who cares if I die_—but before Dino could dwell on that thought any further, Hibari had lowered his elbow and dealt heavy damage to the blonde's brain. Dino finally removed his hand, lent it to his wound and rolled out of the dangerous corner.

"Why are you even more violent than usual, Natsu—"

Dino clamped his mouth shut at the glare. _Right, that's probably not your name._

"Just be quiet, Cavallone." The raven demanded as he pulled the trousers back up.

Dino could see the struggle. The suits that his men wore were all pretty oversized for the raven's body. But he also understood that the young boy was probably sick of dressing as a woman and if he was going to leave, he'd rather do it as a man. Still, Dino was very confused at the turn of events. He could not even question it. Everything was already a mess but it was slowly becoming a very ugly mash up in his mind.

Well, there clear thing was the raven was certainly wearing boxers, had a completely flat and bony chest and was definitely a boy. Those three factors kept rummaging around Dino's brain and whacking him, telling him that it had probably been pretty obvious.

The blonde watched amused as Hibari took the tie from his neck and threaded it through the belt lining and tied it tightly, this time ensuring that no one would pull his pants down again. Dino had wanted to snicker but stuffed the sound down his throat and kept quiet. In his mind, the questions were slowly coming to light and making sense but he felt like he would not be able to voice them.

"Well then, see you, Cavallone." Hibari taunted, "When I feel like having you pay me back, I'll come find you."

Dino was elated with the news but felt like he was on the losing end. The young man before him held all the information he needed but Dino was still clueless. He couldn't even bring himself to ask anything at all. Not much had changed from when this boy was 'Natsu-chan' to who he was now. The raven skylark was still intimidating and going at his own pace.

"W-wait!"

The raven turned slightly, leering as if daring Dino to continue but as expected, it made Dino hesitate. Dino's lips parted and then closed them. His words had been murmured but were inaudible. Just when he was about to give up, Hibari had taken three steps backwards, fuelling his hope, until the door swung open.

"Boss!" Romario exclaimed, "What are… Hibari-san?!"

Dino's eyes darted from Hibari and then to his right hand man. He sharpened the gaze when he realised that Romario knew. _Of course_, Dino thought, _that happened. Romario had groped him just like I had._ He shuddered at the thought. Dino was clumsy—something he was coming to terms—but he wasn't always so slow. But why hadn't Romario told him? Dino stared at his right hand man, saw the apologetic expression and realised that it wasn't new at all.

"If you intend to get in my way…" Hibari started with a yawn. "I'll bite you both to death."

"Stop," Dino finally rose to his feet. "Romario explain this to me… I feel lightheaded."

The clock was ticking for both of them. Hibari's internal clock was running faster though. Patience was something that the raven failed to nurture. Romario spoke very quickly, following his Boss' orders now that everything was out in the open. There was no need to be considerate of feelings.

"This is… Hibari-san." Romario introduced the young raven. "A male. His purpose… I do not know. But I would like to assume that he's not here to assassinate you."

"Right… or else I would have been already." Dino nodded along, "Huh…? Hibari?"

"All you need to understand is," the raven sighed, "I'm not the one you're meant to marry so you just get back to your engagement party while I head home."

Dino titled his head, "Huh but…"

"You've met her," Hibari said with a stretch of his arms. "Saitou Chinatsu. She was in the reception hall wasn't she?"

"Huh?" Dino turned to Romario as Hibari made his exit. "What did he say? What does that even mean?"

The right hand man sighed. His Boss had been screwed over and it was logical that he wasn't thinking right. "I guess he means that… the engagement party can go on as planned. The real Satou Chinatsu will be attending."

Dino took a moment to let the information soak properly and when he finally understood, he dashed past his subordinate saying that he would be back. Romario heaved a sigh as he watched the man run. Had his Boss ever looked so desperate? Romario did not need to worry though; he knew that his Boss would pull through. Dino was a strong person in his own right.

Adrenaline rush took Dino straight to Hibari, without a single fall. Passing by a maid who was carrying his favourite parka, Dino grabbed it with a small word of thanks and then rushed to turn the corner right after the raven. He didn't even know what he was planning to do. As soon as Dino caught up, he was completely loss.

"You want to fight now, Cavallone?" Hibari yawned as he turned; feet spread apart and ready to move if needed. "Should've guessed as much…"

Dino's instant halt of movement caused Hibari to draw his weapon. Dino could be weak and clumsy but that made him slightly unpredictable. The raven skylark brought forth his tonfas for defence. Dino shuffled only slightly but Hibari had gotten the tonfa very close. Putting a smile on his face, Dino showed that he meant well and waited for the raven to pull back. However, Hibari kept his hands mid-air, not pulling back but not attacking either.

"Ca—"

Abruptly, Dino pushed forward, arms at his side and then closed in as he draped his parka over the raven's shoulders gently. The kind action caused Hibari to freeze up, hands lowered without his knowledge and eyes widened with curiosity. The raven skylark plastered in a questioning expression and searched for the topaz marbles. He found them with little effort but before he could shoot his glare, Dino was closing in and placing a peck lightly on his forehead.

"It'll be cold," Dino whispered gently and brushed his lips against Hibari's forehead again, "Take care."

Dino pulled away and put a smile onto his face. He didn't know what had possessed him to risk messing up his face but once he saw that innocent and uncaring face Dino could not help himself. He felt like he needed to leave some kind of impression and force the raven to take that away with him.

However, Hibari just stared at him blankly, not even uttering a word. The skylark studied the strained smile on Dino's face and wondered why it was so. He could not come up with a decent answer, but he did notice how Dino was still as kind and gentle as he had always been. And for reasons unknown to him, Hibari felt very irritated.

_Could nothing tick this man off? Could nothing throw him off his game?_

While the thought ran through his mind, Hibari caught the glimpse of disconnection in Dino's eyes. He was zoning in and out, contemplating something and was clearly conflicted. Pulling Dino away from his trance, Hibari teasingly brushed his fingers across Dino's check and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that ran through his body as Dino's eyes widened and his body stiffened.

"H—"

Pushing himself onto his toes, the raven skylark pushed the boundaries a little and brushes his lips very lightly over Dino's. This was not a competitive or possessive kind of kiss. It was purely vindictive for the raven's purpose. The touch was light, purposely teasing and definitely hateful but Dino didn't feel that hate. Instead, he was left mesmerised as Hibari's grey marbles danced with the gleeful smile when he exited. Dino was left spellbound, completely captivated by that free form of beauty that Hibari possessed as he walked away with confidence.

"B-Boss…?" Romario called out and then was forced to poke. "They're waiting."

"Oh…" Dino turned and painted the smile anew.

"I apologise." Romario lowered his head, "I… was actually planning to call the Satou family on it today during the announcement."

"Huh…?" Dino was not catching the talk at all.

"Boss, are you sure you're alright?" Romario questioned.

"Yeah," Dino smiled again; brushing aside any thoughts he had left of the raven and forced himself to concentrate. Right now and until the end of the day, he had a role to play. "So… you mean to say that you were planning on exposing them?"

"Yes." Romario nodded, "I had asked Hibari-san several times about why he was here in place of the real Satou Chinatsu. It was clear that the parents knew but…"

"They didn't say anything," Dino finished as he began to walk. "Hm… suspicious."

"You're… not upset with me?"

Dino paused but only for a moment. "I trust you."

The Cavallone Boss' leader-like behaviour slipped out as he walked back into the hall. Romario was given no time to mull over his Boss' kindness and forgiveness. Head held high, Dino put in that business smile and greeted his guests again, apologising for his sudden disappearance as he searched carefully for the real Chinatsu. He was going to make sure that he got it right this time. The very first time could not be counted as his mistake. He had no idea who it was that he was supposed to be meeting but now he did.

"Chinatsu-chan." Dino said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder once he found her. "I've found you."

"Oh…" Chinatsu titled her head back and smiled, "I guess red really does stand out."

Dino watched her and decided instantly that she was the better actress. She was much more in place than he was right now. If he had to pick between her and the young boy he had just been forced to say goodbye for this kind of setting, he would choose her without a doubt. The air around her was different. It was clear now that she was raised in the same environment as he.

"You ready?"

Dino played along perfectly. Romario nodded approvingly as he led the way. He showed them to the stage and allowed them to make the toast. Chinatsu adapted easily. She was as bright as the kimono and easily earned the blessing of everyone she spoke to. She had an odd charm that shone as she smiled and it pulled people in. The contrast was very clear and it was obvious that this kind of setting suited her.

Claps filled the room quickly and every joined in with the toast. Dino requested that everyone enjoy themselves and then stepped off the stage, hands locked with Chinatsu as they found their way towards her parents. Seeing the direction that his boss was going, Romario was sure that Dino was ticked off to some extent.

"So you caught him before he left?" Chinatsu questioned with a bright giggle to fool the crowd.

Dino smiled with teeth and spoke without moving his lips. "Yes… but more importantly…"

"I'll fill you in," she offered and waved at her parents.

"That'd be great." Dino waved too and took a step closer, "Good afternoon, ma'am… sir."

"My, my, Dino-san," the old man chuckled, "Please don't give me such a glare."

"Now why would I do such a thing?" The young blonde chuckled, "This is just so much more overwhelming than I thought it'd be."

"Hmm," Satou's wife chimed in, innocent face still intact but like her daughter, there was a glint of playfulness in her eyes, "Well, you do have the power to crush it."

"Misaki, violence is not the solution for something like this." Satou pointed out with a frown.

While the couple exchanged their opinions on the matter, Dino lowered his gaze onto Chinatsu and nudged her lightly.

"I've been wondering…" Dino started, "Your parents are kind of odd, aren't they?"

"Oh, they don't actually get along that well." She told him coolly with a shrug, "My mother plays along but she's always plotting things for her entertainment. Seeing this engagement and alliance fall apart would be _very_ entertaining for her."

Dino blinked. She paused for a moment.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I say things without thinking," Chinatsu smiled—a lot, "Must be hard to adapt to it huh?"

Dino gave her a wry smile in return but did not answer the question. He was really used to the solemn face and the quietness that accompanied it. A change was nice but all the differences were coming at him nonstop. Sighing, he switched off and turned to the couple who were still bickering.

"You're saying this is normal?" Dino questioned again to make sure.

"Yes, arrange marriages are…"

"Chinatsu!" Satou Misaki called out suddenly, "Come with me for a moment."

Chinatsu gave Dino an apologetic smile before she scooted off to her mother's side. The smile was still plastered on her face but he felt a menacing aura that surrounded her when she brushed by her father. Lips parted and words were exchanged but they were barely audible and lip reading wasn't one of Dino's best traits. Satou had returned the words with a crook smile and a very small nod—like they were dealing shady business but Dino could not be sure.

He could only tell what was clear. Their relationship dynamic was still the same. Chinatsu—the real one—really did not get along with her father. As Chinatsu disappeared into the crowd, Dino allowed the familiar image to fade from memory and then locked onto the new, taller and plumper body in attempt to commit it to memory. This was the person that he was required to look at now—well, if they managed to sort this thing out.

Dino turned to Satou and stared at the man who was staring back innocently. However, before he could even voice his concern, the Don was ambushed by his guests and eventually lost Satou within the crowd. It wasn't a surprise really. He couldn't even see Tsuna and his friends the whole night. The young ones slipped in and out of his gaze the whole night but they never got close enough. Reborn was probably stuffing his face with the kids' share of food and couldn't care less so long as it was peaceful.

Before he knew it, night came and Dino's voice was strained just like his body but what he really wanted to know was still coated in mystery. He was nodding off as he saw off his guests and Chinatsu just chuckled—still very bright and full of energy. Dino couldn't help but think about it as he stood by her side. _What a stark contrast. Would I have been bitten to death now if it were Hibari standing here?_

"Dino-san," Chinatsu said and pressed her hand onto his shoulder, "They're all gone now… you can stop bowing."

Dino straightened up his neck instantly, "If you're still full of energy like this, I suggest we sit down and talk this through."

Chinatsu stretched her arms and twisted her neck to ease her ache. Along with that, she had pushed her body forward and now that the hall was empty, Dino received a better look at her full body image. His eyes widened as a layer of scarlet surfaced on his cheeks. _Plump was right_, he thought, _that's what you call a woman's chest_.

"I guess that'd be a good idea," Chinatsu agreed and dragged Dino back into reality, "I'll have my parents join us for late supper."

Dino glanced at Romario who gave him a nod and then promptly disappeared to prepare tea. Chinatsu offered to talk to her parents and an agreement was made rather quickly. He had thought that it would take longer but they turned to him with smiles. Before he knew it, all four of them had changed locations to a smaller room fit for private talk.

While tea was being served, an awkward silence settled over all four of them. Dino had actually expected that Chinatsu would sit on her parent's side but she just coolly sat right next to him and waited. The smile had not left her face, making him wonder if she was sore. However, the Don did not concern himself with that for too long. When Chinatsu picked up the cup of tea, he glanced at Romario and then nodded.

"Would you like to explain the situation to me or do I have to ask?"

Dino pressed the matter gently, stealing a glance at the young lady and made a mental note that she was indeed different from the raven skylark. She had drowned the black tea like it was water and came back smiling. Chinatsu was calm and collected, despite the way she spoke. She said what was on her mind and answered honestly (like a fool to some extent) but there was an undertone of charisma.

Looking at her now and with better lighting in this room, Dino found his answer. The familiarity was because of the photo he had been staring at earlier that day. Her brows were full and her fluttering lashes were as long as they had been in that old photo. The baby face that she had was now replaced with a mature look that was probably assisted by makeup.

"I did not mean to upset you, Dino-san," Satou said first with an apologetic tone and smile, "Chinatsu has always been a little wilful. I had no idea until I saw him… and I had expected her to end her adventure earlier than this."

Dino twirled his teacup. "We were going to call you on it today if Chinatsu-chan didn't show."

"You… knew?" Satou's shock was genuine.

Romario kept his hand by his side and played a victorious smile on his lips. _As expected of the Boss_, he thought. In the Cavallone mansion, Dino could not be taken lightly. Even if he didn't know it then, he knew the right things to say to earn the advantage when it was necessary. Dino had no intentions of letting them get away with anything that might prove to be a threat to his family.

"I do respect you," Dino offered sugar-coated words, "So I waited."

"Hm…" Satou Misaki leaned across and pressed her face as close as she could get to Dino's and then snickered, "Are you not angry?"

"Do you think I should be?"

"Yes." Chinatsu and her mother said at once.

Even Romario was startled. _Was this really a family?_

"You two…" Satou sighed and rubbed his temple, "Dino-san, we really do mean no harm. Ask Chinatsu herself. She's the one that choose to run away without our knowledge. Despite that, I trusted that my daughter would return."

"Trusted…" Misaki repeated, humming with amusement. "Convenient word, don't you think, Dino-san?"

"A family's foundation is built on trust." Dino said firmly.

Relief washed over Romario again and he forced himself to concentrate. Dino was kind just like that. He knew the potential of words and how much damage they could do.

"I'd like to extend my deepest apologies and I do understand if you want to call this whole thing off," Satou jumped back onto topic. "I should have acted earlier."

Chinatsu smiled into the rim of the teacup and returned her father's glare with a curt nod. Of course, he was lying. There was no way he was going to let go of this alliance that easily. There was so much power and potential in this marriage that it was blinding him. The Cavallone were closely tied to the Vongola after all. Heaving a sigh, Chinatsu ignored the crestfallen shape of her mother's red lips and lowered her cup back onto the saucer.

"Dino-san," She called out softly, "I will be honest with you."

Her tone was heavy and serious, making even Satou nervous. He knew his daughter well but sometimes he felt like he didn't at all. He knew that she always looked deeper into the situation before making her choice but this time, he could not be sure the grip he had would work. He swallowed hard as Dino turned and gave his daughter every ounce of attention that he had left.

"A friend of mine was outraged at the idea of an arranged marriage in this day and age." A new but dim smile surfaced on her face, "I was told that it was a stupid idea and that I shouldn't have to follow through with it. After all, it's my life and my choices right?"

He nodded because she was waiting for it.

"I believe that's true," Chinatsu said, sending her father into a shaky fury. Her expression remained unchanged as she locked her fingers together, "Hibari is a friend of mine. I had asked him to take my place while I went on a holiday to Mafia Land—to think things through."

She heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"Eh…?" Everyone slumped over and Dino being extra clumsy had knocked his cup over, spilling it all over the bottom of his pants.

"But it was so nice there! I completely lost myself and forgot that I had to come back," she broke out into a giggle, "Hibari was really angry you know? But… I can't really send another girl in my place right? What if Dino-san had completely fallen for her?"

"Chi-na-tsu!" Satou roared slamming his hands onto the table. The mix of black and grey strands of hair that sat on top of his head trembled alongside him. He had completely forgotten his place and froze while he tried to work his way out of it. "You… you ran away to Mafia Land?!"

She smiled and arched her brow at her father, tone playful. "I'm sorry _daddy_. Don't be upset, okay?"

Satou Misaki hid away her brown marbled eyes and shook her head, "Chinatsu… I can't believe this."

"B… but your clothing when—"

"Ah," Chinatsu scratched her cheeks shyly as she recalled it. "I… ran into some trouble while trying to find the Cavallone mansion."

Old man Satou had finally sat back down with arms crossed and a fixed expression so that his anger did not seep through. She had spoken in that manner to irritate him on purpose. To top it off, she was wearing that goofy smile on her face to mock him even more. After Chinatsu was satisfied with the way her father's brow crunched together out of angry and his old and wrinkly hands trembled with fury, she plastered on a more serious expression and turned to Dino. Gently reaching out, Chinatsu grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Please forgive my reckless behaviour," she confessed, "I understand that you're angry, but we don't we give this another go?"

Dino's heart jumped in his chest and his face became hot. She was straightforward and _very_ manly in her conduct. He felt like he was being courted and the feelings that stirred within him were oddly disturbing.

"Um… uh…" he looked to Romario for help but in the end, the choice was his. "I… I guess we can work on it?"

"Great!" Chinatsu beamed.

Dino had finally averted his eyes and heaved an inaudible sigh. Romario bit his lips together and kept a straight face to hide his amusement. He had thought that only Bianchi was capable of pursuing someone so openly.

* * *

I'm so sorry my replies are long ;_; but I have to make up for the lack from the last update. Do enjoy the long update! ^-^ Stuff uni for today (I'll regret it later HAHA but muses are awesome when they want to be).

Thank you for the new favourites & follows from the following users: **CrylikeRania**, **CrysRavon**, **Echo** **Andalice**, **Ellixie**, **Ingmina**, **OneHellOfAMarshmellow**, **Tri-Ni Sette01**, **XxSilenceOfTheNightXx**, **dead or alive0013**, **heitan**, **katsuiyo**, **sutan140**, **Lauren-'Cho **and **ShioriErz**. Please forgive me if I'm forgetting any one of you! _ Working without glasses is not good

**Tri-Ni Sette01:** Thank you for leaving a review and I'm glad that you're enjoying this read and hopefully it gets you back into the fandom for good? :D

**baku:** I'm sorry about the last chapter, I just had to drag it out one... but it finally happened! Probably not as epic as I wanted it to be but... ehehe, I set expectations for myself and see where it takes me ;_;. Ehehe, I will apologise in advance that after this update I might really take a while! I couldn't help myself and there's two chapters in a week! That's rare _ so, I hope this soothes out the wait... that might come ^^

**Guest:** Hello! I'm not sure if you're one of my old guests, but welcome anyway! I'm glad that you're enjoying this 3.

**Lauren-'Cho:** Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hope you like this one too :3

**xXanimereaderfanXx:** Well... it happens this chapter so I hope that you'll forgive me for being misleading ^-^ and please enjoy!

**dead or alive0013:** You are amazing! Ha, I just had to say that first. Thank you so much for your constructive criticism (character descriptions have always been my weak point, I like internal clockwork rather than appearance ;_; need to fix that) I'd like to work on Chinatsu by contrasting her with Hibari's point of view so that he gets to understanding... his "love" I guess (*hint*, maybe?). Other than that, I'll work hard on descriptions so tell me if you need more ^^. I hope this chapter clears up some of your questions and I'll work hard to answer the others! 3

**heitan:** Thank you for checking out this fic too! I'll take some time here to answer your question from As Cavallone Decimo. I would have loved to call Primo Dante, just didn't get around to it. Thank you for pointing out my lack of descriptions and details (I lack and then I forget!) About Dino not noticing, in my mind it worked like this: Hibari & Dino sleep on opposite ends of the bed, end up rolling to the middle (Dino's the deep sleeper and so only notices softness) and Hibari always woke up first and knocked him out of bed before he noticed. Hehe... I'll probably give some descriptions on that from Romario's pov next update!


	10. Chapter 10

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"Urgh." Dino complained and buried his head into his paper work. Right now, he loathed his position and his responsibilities. If he was not Dino Cavallone, he was sure that many things would have broken already and he would be feeling much better. "Romario…"

"Yes Boss?" Romario replied promptly.

Dino slid his hand towards the drawer and pulled out the file he had put away. He slammed it down in front of it and stared at it from his side. A sigh escaped his lips. He was really tired but also too upset to actually think of sleeping it off. He wanted to take care of everything at once but that was also impossible. Research was imperative.

"Please look into Mafia Land for me." He requested gently with droopy eyes. "Ah! Make sure you get some rest first."

"Let me walk you back to your room, Boss." Romario said and dragged Dino up, draping the young man's arm over his shoulder and walking him along, "You've really been pushing yourself."

Romario disapproved of the file that Dino had taken with him but could not bring himself to scold the younger man. If Dino was tired then being in his bed for a short while would send him off to sleep. It was easy to tell what happened when his Boss was exhausted. Weeks leading up to the engagement, Dino had pushed himself and whenever he returned, he would fall straight asleep. Dino was a very deep sleeper too. That was something which Romario held and love-hate relationship with. Sometimes, it was good that nothing could wake him from his slumber but during Hibari's stay, it was a hindrance. The young blonde couldn't figure it out after all.

Romario had remembered walking in on them once. Hibari was on one corner of the bed, curled up and sleeping soundly. Dino had slumped down on the other corner and kept to his own space. By morning, magically, the two of them had rolled to the centre of bed. Being a deep sleeper, Dino never noticed anything amiss. Perhaps it was because Hibari _was_ soft to some extent. Romario mentally slapped himself and shook his head. He didn't want to think too deeply into that memory. What he saw one entertaining morning when he went to wake his Boss was the fact that Hibari had woke up first and knocked the Don out of bed before he could tighten his embrace and figure.

"Please rest," Romario requested.

Dino yawned and nodded. He kept his eyes open until the doors were closed and the lights had been turned off. Once Romario's footsteps had faded into the distance, Dino twisted to his lamp by the side table and turned it on. Screw Romario's zipped lips—the man didn't mean any harm… maybe. _Later_, Dino made a mental note; _I'll make him promise to report every little thing_. Edging a little closer to the light, the blonde flipped open the file and began to read it properly. He was going to get it right this time.

However, turning to the third page, Dino's eyes betrayed him. They fluttered open and close against his will until he was too tired to do anymore. Telling himself to catch just five minutes of sleep, Dino pressed the files to his chest and closed his eyes. Repeatedly, before he fell into a deep state of sleep, Dino told himself, _only five minutes_.

Five minutes turned out to be hours. The softness that he sank into was too comfortable. Dino had twisted into bed comfortably, crushing the papers underneath him and sleeping soundly. He only stirred awake when the sun shone through his curtains. Yawning, Dino had automatically twisted to the side so that he could avoid the punch but once again, found that there was no need. He had developed an unnecessary reflex.

Rubbing his eyes and forcing himself to stay awake, Dino ran his free hand across the bed and found the crushed papers. Heaving a sigh, he unfolded and straightened them up for reading. Running his fingers through his hair, Dino jumped out of his bed, brought the papers with him and set them by the sink as he washed his face and brushed his teeth. He took in whatever it was that he could but did not even manage to flip the page.

"Ah… I should probably have set an alarm."

Dino paused and took a good look at his reflection in the mirror. For some reason, he felt like he wasn't looking at himself… but then, what kind of person was he up until yesterday? He knew that he had tried hard but the thought of doing it again was just overwhelming. He had a put a lot into trying to get along with Hibari and that proved to be a complete waste of time, effort and energy. Something told him that he would never see the raven again so there was no use in dwelling on the matter but he was still upset.

Ignoring the written information for now, Dino flipped the page again and studied the photos that were inside the file. Well, now that he had taken a good look, they were distinguishable. When he thought about the first time he saw _Hibari_ he knew that he wouldn't have been able to tell even if he had a file on hand. The wonders of makeup were still puzzling to him. Dino lowered his eyes and rubbed his temples to rid himself of the frustration. He had been thinking stereotypically too. Those grey eyes were real, not just some circle lens.

Conjuring up Chinatsu's image, Dino realised that now she looked age. The large brown eyes that were in the photo were still the same too. They were piercing and clear as they stared at him. He did not like it at all. Flipping that school photo, Dino's eyes glazed over the family photo of the three. Chinatsu sat in the middle, her father was on the left and her mother the right. She looked nothing like her father and shared most of her physical traits with her mother.

Dino concluded that that was the reason for their seemingly messed up relationship. He didn't really care too much about it anymore. What he needed to ensure now was his family's safety. Dino was not too concerned with the alliance falling apart. The ones that were set on this alliance was the Satou family. To Dino, there were other families that could work just as well. The reason that they had settled for the Satous was because they were within Tsuna's vicinity.

Starting at home would be good for Tsuna and as the Vongola's coalition. Dino saw no problem in assisting with it. Forming alliances to support the Vongola as well as expanding their territories and connections were a definite plus. Dino massaged his temple gently and swiped the papers before returning to his room. He was doing it again, thinking like a Boss, tossing up reasons and pushing everything else out of mind just for that.

Slipping out of his clothing from the night before, Dino dressed more casually. He tossed the files onto his bed and while changing, eyed the school photo of Chinatsu's graduation. It looked like a very happy day for her, she was carrying that unrestrained smile on her face and next to her was a boy equally happy. It was a small circle of friends, something like what Tsuna had now.

Dino made a mental note to look more into her personal life when the knock at his door drew his attention away.

"I'm coming," he said and slipped his hand into his jacket.

Plastering on a smile Dino opened the door and greeted his men. He hadn't forgotten that he would be seeing Tsuna, his friends and Chinatsu's parents off today. They had stayed for a long time and it was obvious that everyone was slightly home-sick. The events unfolded slightly different from his memory. Chinatsu was much cheerier than Hibari and she actually spoke to his friends. Only Tsuna seemed to notice that something was amiss and Dino didn't blame the others. Hibari never did come out of his room to greet the potential Vongola Tenth and his guardians.

"Um, Dino-san," Tsuna had whispered while they caught the ride together. The boy was worrying for his life—he knew that the perfect didn't care—if he was exposed he'd make Tsuna take the responsibility. "You know… about your fiancée…"

"Oh, don't worry Tsuna." Dino patted the brunet's head gently, "Make up works wonders. Even I didn't recognise her."

Tsuna frowned. He knew the truth so there was no way he was going to buy such a lie. It might have worked on Gokudera and Yamamoto but not him nor Reborn for that matter. The tutor would have snickered. His friends weren't really interested in her anyway. If she spoke then they returned the gesture, Gokudera in his loud way and Yamamoto exchanging friendly words out of obligation. Deciding not to push the matter further, Tsuna kept quiet and hoped that whatever had happened did not piss the perfect off. And if it did, he prayed that Hibari would be calm by the time the school year started. He did not want to die yet.

"Don't worry Tsuna." Dino said encouragingly with a bright grin.

"Oh… yes." Tsuna returned the gesture quickly so that Gokudera did not turn around and accuse the mafia boss of making the potential Vongola Tenth uneasy. Gokudera was prone to jumping to conclusions whenever it concerned him and although it can be nice on occasion, most of his assumptions were wrong.

"You are coming back to Japan for the wedding, aren't you?" Tsuna questioned to make conversation. "I heard from Reborn that your future in laws requested it so you had the engagement party in Italy."

"That's right," Dino nodded, "A perfect exchange, don't you think?"

The brunet nodded. It was probably not good to force the elderly (Chinatsu's parents mainly) to travel too much. It would put a strain on their bodies and health. It was also convenient for Tsuna and his friends too. Once the school year started, they would not be able to attend the wedding if it were outside of Japan.

"Anyway," Dino steered the topic. "You better work hard. At this point, I think Reborn's going to start working you harder than before."

Tsuna grimaced evidently as he tossed up the idea of off dying from a bite rather than a bomb. He'd probably be in one piece with Hibari—undistinguishable—but most certainly better than being blown to bits for guessing a mathematics question wrong. Dino chuckled at the trembling brunet and offered a hand.

"Don't worry, you'll live." Dino assured and pulled the young one out of the car, "I did."

"I'm surprised you did." Tsuna muttered to himself.

Dino titled his head with a smile and Tsuna returned the gesture without repeating himself. Dino just smiled along, not pushing it. If Tsuna had a problem and needed help, at this stage, Dino was sure that the young brunet would come out and ask. Dino ruffled Tsuna's hair affectionately and left them in the care of his subordinates.

Cheerily, Dino took steps over towards Chinatsu and her parents. He bade them goodbye sincerely and watched as Chinatsu said her farewells. Dino had thought that she would be more devastated by their farewell but she was cool about, just like Hibari had been when he came to greet them. It could just be the case that the two, who've known each other for a long time, have rubbed their personalities—no, some of their traits, off each other.

"Why do you look so relieved to be free of them?" Dino whispered with a smile plastered on his face as he waved both his friend and his potential in laws off.

"Well," she replied with a smile equally cheery, "They won't be in the way."

"In the way?" Dino questioned.

He had never thought of them as such. Her parents had always kept to themselves and he often felt like they were never around until it was time to share a meal. When Chinatsu beamed at him, Dino couldn't help but feel like he had stepped on a landmine. It was definitely a bad sign.

"Oh, dates and all that," Chinatsu exclaimed, "We'd better start there, don't you think?"

Dino froze up instantly but managed to recover just as quickly, "I see."

It was an odd contrast and Dino wasn't really used to it. He had thought that he was good at adapting but she was better and she kept catching him off guard. He realised now that he had grown accustomed to having silence and then being forced to initiate the conversation. Now that she was doing it, he was at a loss as to what to do. So to return her expression that was filled with anticipation, Dino smiled brightly.

"I guess I'd have to show you around Italy." Dino offered gently.

"Hm?" Chinatsu hummed as she turned, "Sounds like an obligation."

While musing over her own thoughts, Chinatsu realised that she was highly amused. It made her feel like her mother but she brushed the thought off by turning around and waving for Dino to come along. There was no point in staying at the airport if the people they needed to see off were gone. Still, Dino was highly amusing. Perhaps he didn't realise it himself but he was being rather cautious and distant.

"Dino-san!" Chinatsu waved frantically, "Take me on a date!"

Chinatsu watched as Dino's face contorted with surprise and smiled to herself. Maybe Dino was just uncomfortable with the change, but she couldn't help thinking otherwise. Had he gotten used to Hibari's presence? Was that a little crush that she was sensing underneath all of his efforts to hide it?

Dino offered the best smile he could as he approached. She really did move fast. Pocketing his hands, Dino looked down at Chinatsu with a gentle expression and masked up his uncomfortable position.

"Anywhere you'd like to go? Anything you'd like to see?"

—

Dino's first date with Chinatsu was overwhelming and hectic. He'd never thought that it would be possible all in one day—less than that even. They saw everything that she wanted to see. Dino took her south and then she demanded to go north. Her mood changes were like the weather. Dino regretted asking at all.

Chinatsu just wanted to see everything and go everywhere that was humanely possible. Dino was certain that they had added more damage to their planet and had apologised mentally for the both of them. And he promised to walk for most of his next endeavours for the next month at least. His subordinates were all highly amused at the fact that their Boss was now running around like a lunatic every few minutes.

"Wow," Chinatsu said when they stopped by the beach. The breeze definitely lifted Dino's exhaustion. "The colour of the sand is different!"

"That's amazing?" Dino mumbled to himself.

He wasn't one to notice such things like the colour of the sand. And he didn't even bother to ask. Chinatsu's energy level was too hyper and then too low, even for him. They did not even stay in one place for too long. Dino stopped calling it a real date and started referring to it mentally as a tour.

"Oh! Ice-cream!" Chinatsu exclaimed and dashed off without him.

Dino dropped his head and hid away from the snickering of his men. The idea of ice-cream in such cold weather was absurd. Why was the damn store even open? Dino wondered if he could use his influence to make them close but when he got closer, he wished to permanently close it.

"Dino-san, what flavour do you like?" Chinatsu questioned.

Dino answered innocently, without much thought to it. When she shoved the ice-cream in his face, he regretted it. When he bit in, he felt like it would be okay but then the brain freeze got to him and he really wanted to permanently close the damn store. Shaking furiously with fumbling hands, he didn't even have it in him to protest when Chinatsu started laughing loudly at him.

The date was a rather eventful disaster but Dino managed to conclude a few things. Not every Japanese girl was reserved and now, he didn't even have anyone to compare Chinatsu with. Hibari wasn't a girl. The thought kept messing up his head and sending him into his own world. Chinatsu noticed, never picked on it and just waited until he snapped out of it. Once he had realised what he had done, the Don was blushing with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," Dino apologised once they had settled down for tea, "This…"

He had no excuse. Dino was supposed to know how to go on a date.

She laughed brightly. "I understand."

Chinatsu always liked to play with her dates. Not many actually put up with her behaviour. She was jumping from one end of the scale to the other within minutes. She was actually surprised that Dino lasted this long. In her mind, it was impossible, but perhaps his endurance was better than most. After all, he had lasted several months with that Hibari Kyouya.

"Why… I'm really not trying to be rude," Dino defended gently.

"No, no, that's not what I meant." Chinatsu chuckled and sipped on her milk tea, "You should be calling me out for being rude."

"There have been worst," Dino offered some words of consolation. He didn't deny it because of the look on Chinatsu's face. She wouldn't appreciate a lie. "Honestly."

He hid his surprise from her well. Not many people actually admitted to being rude. Dino found that he actually liked this aspect of her, despite all the others that wore him out.

"Hm," Chinatsu mused and stole a glance at the sunset. "I guess it's about time to head back. I've taken up most of your day."

"I had fun here and there," Dino assured her, "You must be tired though."

He sure was. They didn't even do much but he was beginning to feel it in his muscles. He zoned out most of the time and whenever he was paying attention, it was to hope that it wasn't going south. Dino's main concern was any clothing boutique. Every time they passed by one, Hibari's words would echo in his mind and it distracted him. It was momentary, but once he registered the thought, he was quick to pull Chinatsu's attention away. He did not want to take her clothing off, so he was not going to offer to buy any.

Dino was not planning to make that mistake again.

* * *

Sorry for the slightly late update, short chapter and lack of replies! No times, this week to reply personally but I appreciate it all! Thank you to all the new reviews, favourites & follows. Slow chapter but I hinted at how they'll meet up again! And maybe some Hibari in the next chapter? ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Romario gently placed the paperwork on Dino's desk and waited to receive the expected frown. Dino lifted his head and glared at his right hand man. His face contorted at the thought of more paperwork but inside, there was a hint of joy.

"Don't I already have enough work?" Dino complained out of habit.

Romario chuckled, knowing that his boss didn't mean it at all. He'd rather be stuck doing piles and piles of paperwork instead of being on a date with Satou Chinatsu. Once was more than enough for the young blonde. But, luckily for Dino, it wasn't additional paperwork, just the information that he wanted.

"She was there, but just briefly," Romario said softly, "And the rest of the details are in the folder."

"Oh," Dino lifted his head off the desk immediately and seized the folder. "Thanks."

"No problem, Boss." Romario said before going off and then turned around, "I'm going to pick her up."

Dino pondered for a moment, why Romario had turned around just for that minor announcement but then remembered that he had reprimanded his right hand man for keeping secrets. After that, everything—even all the unnecessary details—went through Dino before any actions were conducted. Dino regretted it and then was forced to reprimand Romario again to make sure that the little details of the man's private endeavours were to be left out.

He had managed to barely catch up and for once, he wished that he had more time on his hands to do work. Taking his chance with Chinatsu away, he flipped open the file and worked through it carefully. She really did take up a lot of his time and so, today, for the sake of work, Dino had sent her outside alone. Unlike when he was with Hibari, Dino felt no need to keep an eye on Chinatsu. She didn't give off the feeling that she might just up and go. At this point, he probably didn't mind it much. There would be no large harm done that he couldn't fix.

Inhaling deeply, Dino separated the photos from the documents and then studied them in the order that Romario had arranged them. Chinatsu had not lied about going to Mafia Land but she wasn't there for as long as she had claimed to be. The records showed that she had only entered for four hours and then exited. Her company was a slim Japanese man who looked like an escort at angles and a bodyguard at others.

Dino left his options open. The man had entered and exited with her after all. There were many things that he could have been. As details as the documents the man's identity was underneath a question mark and there were sections of the timeline that was missing. Dino could not tell whether Chinatsu had been in Japan or Italy for the short time before she showed up at the mansion. And he did not know whether to praise her for her ability to blend in or to curse it.

However, the lacking information clarified the fact that she had something to hide. He knew now, that being cautious would save him from disaster, should it come. He would later discuss it with Romario as well. The man's input was always appreciated.

Dino flipped to the final page and scanned the little information that was remaining. There was nothing concrete to go on and it made him reconsider the thought of just asking her upfront again. It would make his life so much easier but Dino couldn't put aside the need to provide some level of comfort for a girl like Chinatsu.

"Urgh," Dino complained and pulled on his hair, "Why does it have to be so difficult?"

He wished that he didn't have to be kind but at the same time, he didn't have the heart to actually hurt someone. Besides that, Dino could not be sure what kind of damage he'd be inflicting. He lacked a strong kind of resolve that was required to hurt another human being emotionally, especially when he didn't know what it could do.

Noting the time, Dino folded the paper and hid it underneath his pile of work. Setting his clothing straight, the Don stretched out his arms and made his way towards the dining room. It was time for lunch and he was obliged to attend. He joined Chinatsu who had returned and listened carefully to her adventures. Over the week, she had learnt to differentiate his two different types of listening.

One was the serious one and the other was where information signed in for a short while before it escaped him. Chinatsu didn't really mind. So long as she could use it towards her gain later on, anything would do. Chinatsu wasn't exactly the type to hold back when she saw something that would be advantageous for her.

As usual, she was bright and cheerful in everything that she did. Even if the story that she had to tell about her adventure was slightly unsightly or annoying, she told it with all the cheer she had. Dino did not understand how someone could turn everything into a positive experience.

"Perhaps we can get your shoes repaired," Dino offered some gently input. "It is your favourite pair."

It was the pair that she had worn ever since she got to the Cavallone mansion.

A hint of distress crossed her face and disappeared before Dino could call her out on it. Besides that, Dino did not have enough information to fish for more. Her favourite pair of shoes could have terrible memories that she was not willing to let him in on. A smile blossomed across her cheeks while she shook her head gently to reject his offer.

"You can't keep fixing shoes," she told him, "They'll wear and tear. Besides, there are plenty in my closet waiting to become my next favourite pair."

"Are you sure?" Dino pressed.

"Certain." Chinatsu assured with a dismissive wave, "I quiet like the black flats you gave me."

Shoes, Dino had convinced himself, was not a part of clothing. He had to buy her some once he had come to realised that she had only one pair of them on her. Clothing wise, he had left it all up to her. Dino did not interfere with that choice. And it seemed like Chinatsu preferred it that way too. She was a contradiction, Dino concluded every time they were together. Sometimes, she wanted his company at others, she completely rejected him. It seemed like a tactic that made her all the harder to read.

"Thank you for joining me for lunch," Chinatsu said abruptly.

Dino placed his knife and fork down quickly and turned to stare. He nodded and smiled lightly after reading her expression and concluding that today, she wanted to be alone. It made his situation better. He could now go and discuss with Romario, without having to worry about being interrupted.

Chinatsu exited with cheer. She waltzed gracefully out the door and then found her way into the garden. The garden was well looked after and she could spot traces of her old friend in small corners here and there. Where small things were, Hibari would have been. She could tell where his work had been. Smiling to herself, Chinatsu sat by the purple hydrangea and stared down at her feet.

She had said that she'd throw it away, but she was still wearing the pair of tattered and torn sneakers. Sometimes, the things that Dino said pushed her in the wrong direction. Fixing these old shoes would do Chinatsu no good. Brushing her hair behind her ears, Chinatsu folded her body forward and removed the sneakers.

Allowing the pair to hang loosely from her curled fingers, Chinatsu reflected upon the memory of obtaining them. They were special. A comfortable pair of shoes that would take her anywhere in the world and it wouldn't hurt. Well, that was now a lie. They were so tattered and torn. They now left blisters on her feet. They were unnecessary to the person that she was going to become. Swinging them back and forth, Chinatsu tossed up her choices.

She came to a quick and final decision as she always did. Lingering no longer in the garden or her useless thoughts, Chinatsu stood on her bare feet and found her way back inside. She plastered on her smile and gave everyone that she walked by a smile and a light nod. Before she reached her room, Chinatsu stared at the young maid who was looking at her with an expectant expression and then shook her head.

She lowered the pair of shoes and decided that if she was going to get rid of it, she'd do it personally. Allowing someone else to do it would only leave her with regrets. Smiling it off, she gave another light nod to the maid and found her way to the nearest bin. She halted before it and hovered the pair of sneakers over the opening. Her hands trembled slightly but as soon as she noticed, Chinatsu uncurled her fingers and watched them fall.

Sighing, Chinatsu ran her fingers through her hair and walked away with relief. Now that it was over, she felt slightly lighter than she had been. Still bare-feet and feeling the cold seep in, she made her way back quickly. She approached the cupboard first and pulled out a pair of slippers to warm her feet.

Folding her knees to lower her line of sight, Chinatsu stared at her new collection of shoes. They were all very pretty but they also looked like they would be painful to wear. But after staring at them, she came to accept it. Once married—if it was still going through—she'd have to be wearing those kinds of shoes all the time. She'd have to wear the pretty ones and the heeled ones that elongated her legs but were aiming to give her blisters.

But that's exactly how things would be. She wouldn't be the free girl that would be able to go anywhere she wished and go comfortably at that. Chinatsu would be tied down by these shoes. She'd sit at the dining table to look pretty. She'd wear them and remain still. And whenever she got up to walk the short distance, they'd start hurting. That's what heels were for. It would be a restriction placed upon her movements.

Chinatsu never liked them and probably never will.

Closing the closet again, Chinatsu walked over to her bed and slumped over it. Sinking into the softness, she heaved a low sigh and closed her eyes. At least, the bed was comfortable and so were the clothing that she had picked out for herself. Burying her face into the white blank, Chinatsu closed her eyes and napped. It was short and somewhat uncomfortable but she dreamed.

Kind and gentle hands were patting her head. Soft whispers like a lullaby encouraged her to keep sleeping because everything would be okay. In her mind she was cursing the voice and calling whoever was speaking a liar. Shaking from the shock of how real her dream felt, Chinatsu twisted her body around and parted her eyes to reveal glossy brown marbles.

Seeing the shadow over her sight, Chinatsu narrowed her eyes and reached out. In seconds, her grip was tightly wrapped around his neck and she had twisted their positions around and had him pinned down. Chinatsu wasn't particularly strong but whenever she felt like her life or chastity was in danger, she always acted quicker than she could think.

"Chi-Chinatsu!" Dino squeaked.

She paused and then blinked several times, "Dino-san?"

"Right…" he nodded furiously, "Can… can you please—"

Eventually she loosened her grip and allowed him to catch his breath. Chinatsu shuffled away and stayed kneeling on the soft mattress as she glanced around the room. At least, she knew where she was now. She had woken fully and the contents of her nightmare had faded but the mocking laugh seemed to linger by her ears.

"I apologise," she said after composing herself, "You surprised me."

"I'm sure I did," Dino chuckled while rubbing his neck, "I should be sorry. It's just… you looked rather uncomfortable…"

"Ah, thank you." Chinatsu nodded gently as she clenched her hands together, "It's still bright out huh…?"

"I don't think you slept for very long," Dino told her.

"It's no good to be napping at this time of the day anyway," Chinatsu replied and stepped off the bed.

She stretched her hand out and pulled the hair tie off her wrist. As usual, her hand movements were quick when she was styling. In a few seconds, Chinatsu had run her fingers through her silky black hair and put it up into a messy ponytail. Then she repeated the dismissive behaviour with a smile stuck on her face.

"Shall we go for a stroll?"

Dino sighed and shuffled on the bed a little but made no effort to actually get up. He did enjoy the small walks that he took with Chinatsu but today, he was not going to give in. He had often allowed her to slip out of his grasp while he gathered the information but now that things were clear, they would need to talk it through. He was surprised at himself for his rationality. But that could be put off until later.

"I think we'd better sit down and talk about some other things," Dino suggested instead.

Chinatsu grimaced. She didn't want to talk about the preparations for the wedding if it could be avoided. It was too much trouble and if they didn't plan, it could be pushed back further when her parents realised that they had been really unorganised. However, she also understood Dino's position. He didn't have all the time to spare. She really should give in when he wanted to talk.

"If… If it's about the wedding—"

"It's not." Dino stated at once, leaving no room for argument.

Chinatsu paused. It wasn't the wedding.

"Shoes?"

Dino shook his head gently and waited. He wondered how many more guesses Chinatsu would have to make before she got to the issue that he wanted to discuss. She made a few more empty guesses for the sake of stalling and allowed Dino to discover that she had told a bunch of lies. White lies seemed to be her speciality.

"Chinatsu-chan." Dino finally gave up, "Why did you lie about Mafia Land?"

Chinatsu's voice hitched as she took a step backwards. She needed to gain some distance. She had expected him to find out about that lie. It was a surprise to her that he didn't within the first few days that she had told it. Eventually, she had allowed the worry to slip away. Now that he brought it back up, she was slightly shocked. But it was still okay. Mafia Land was something that she could still get herself out of.

"I didn't lie," Chinatsu refuted, "I was there."

Dino frowned, "You said you couldn't bring yourself to leave."

"Well of course I left eventually," Chinatsu laughed at him, "I am here, am I not?"

Dino was somewhat amused. Chinatsu's ability to speak about things in a round-about way was always interesting to observe. She managed to twist his words to her advantage and never had to resort to threats. However, today, Dino had no intentions of losing, even if he had to use methods a little dirtier than his norm.

Drawing a deep breath, Dino sighed, "And your friend?"

Chinatsu's response was slow and heavy. "By friend… you mean…?"

"The tall young man in the black suit."

Dino's description was vague but alarming. Chinatsu reminded herself several times to keep cool as she thought of an excuse. She had expected it but when he brought it up, her excuses flew out of the window and her mind flashed white. It was completely empty and useless.

"Won't you tell me about him?" Dino pressed gently.

His smile looked more like a grin and Chinatsu forced one back but she was growing irritated. He was going to push this issue until she talked. However, so that she did not give him too much of an upper hand on the situation, Chinatsu clenched her fists by her side and bit her lips so that it'd hurt before she said it.

"He's not that important."

Dino mentally commended her resolve but had no intentions of backing down.

"Even though you were calling for him in your sleep?"

He watched as her eyes widened without restriction before adding to her distress. Knowing her personality by now, she was probably thinking that there was no way that it was possible. Chinatsu was thinking just that. She couldn't have said it and there was no way that he could know. She had been extra careful about it after all.

For a moment, Dino wished he didn't have to do it but in the end, he pursued it.

"Toshi-kun, was it?"

Just like that, her world seemed to crumble.

* * *

Once again sorry for the lack of replies. Thank you for the new reviews, follows & favourite! I need to get back to studying for my test so I can't reply to you guys ;_;. Enjoy the chapter & we'll definitely see Hibari next chapter :]


	12. Chapter 12

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Hibari Kyouya had set order in Namimori the moment he landed. Everyone who noticed, scrambled to stand in place and kept their heads lowered so long as the perfect was in sight. A self-satisfied grin had stuck itself to Hibari's face as he made his way home. However, he still noted that some things were amiss and he had promised himself that he'd head back out later to fix those problems.

The raven had headed home for comfort. He wanted his authentic green tea along with tea cakes and Japanese sweets. The taste of home would calm him and make him forget all that he wanted to and start fresh in his home town. As such, once everything had returned to the way that he liked it, Hibari slept soundly and woke up happy, even if others might not be able to see it.

Waking to the sound of Hibird's singing always put the raven into a better mood. The yellow bird knew exactly which song it needed to sing to make the raven's morning. Hibari's eye lids parted, allowing content irises to grace the ceiling with his attention. Yawning softly, the skylark pushed his blanket aside and went quietly to complete his morning routine.

He took his time with his Japanese style breakfast and savoured every last bit of it. Hibari enjoyed his peaceful morning and took all the time that he liked but still made it on time. Before he knew it, he had patrolled the streets and was in front of the school gates, waiting to mark students off as tardy.

Sawada Tsunayoshi had just slipped through the gates. He was huffing and puffing but still forced a bow and then ran quickly on his way. Hibari smirked and closed the gate. Anyone who stepped in later or jumped the gate would be punished. He often felt that the Student Body was too lenient. The Discipline Committee would do a better job at it. Hibari would make sure to drill in the rules so that they'd understand.

Shortly after confirming that there were no late comers today (it was a surprise), Hibari turned and walked through the field and took a step onto the stairs. It was also surprisingly quiet this morning. However, he did not allow the peace to drag down his guard. When things were quiet, Hibari knew that soon, it might be messy and loud. The thought sent him shuddering in disgust. He hated anything loud and annoying.

But he would take precautions. As soon as he got to the committee room, he distributed his men and then went on his way to patrol the halls. Now that he was back, Hibari would make sure that the rest of the students know their place. He had gotten most of the school back on track. The only exception was Sawada's little group.

They seemed to be getting into more trouble as the days passed by. Hibari was growing irritated. He felt like the brunet was trying to say something. But Hibari didn't let it show on his face. He just grew harsher in his treatment of that group. There was no way that the raven would allow that herbivore to have that kind of hold over him. He was sure that no one but the stupid loud bombing idiot would believe Sawada anyway. Even then, the raven would make sure to beat the memory out of them all.

However, on the upside, it was kind of amusing. Sawada Tsunayoshi had become interesting over time. There was always a very well hidden air of power around him but most of the time, he was still failing his classes and making a fool out of himself when he stood in the middle of the school yard with only his boxers on. It used to be a disturbance to the state of the school but once everyone had grown accustomed to it, Hibari couldn't see it as breaking any rules. The brunet had managed to normalise the activity with the frequency of it.

Brushing the thought of Sawada and his friends aside for the moment, Hibari approached the slacking student hidden underneath the stairs that lead to the rooftop. Leering at the student, Hibari waited for him to stir in his sleep until he woke. It was no surprise that the student opened his eyes shortly after Hibari arrived and scrambled to his knees and bowed in apology.

Hibari sneered as he repeated the student's name and student number. He watched in amusement as the student shivered. He didn't bite the boy to death but instead, issued a punishment and demanded that the boy go and see Kusakabe later. After that, he watched as the student reported in to class late and then proceeded to find comfort on the school's rooftop.

Hibari's body twitched at the smell of smoke. Only one person had failed to listen to him. The boy with white hair never listened. Instead, he often fought back. Today, Hibari didn't even think to give the man a chance to start his protest. Itching for a good fight but knowing that he wouldn't get one, irritated him. As soon as he stepped through the door, he sent his tonfa flying and Gokudera to the ground.

"What the hell, you bastard!" Gokudera claimed as he jumped right back up.

"Heh," Hibari grinned.

A fight was probably better than none.

He was quick to pick a fight too. Hibari buried his tonfa back into Gokudera's stomach and sent him flying towards the fencing. Grinning, he moved his feet slightly and crushed the smoke beneath his feet. He hated those damn contagious chemicals. The raven did not allow it when he went patrolling the town. There was no way that he'd allow it on school premises. Still, sometimes, the air in Namimori reeked of tobacco. It was a pity that Hibari was only one and couldn't be everywhere he wanted to be at once.

By the time that he was done with glaring at the smoke, Gokudera had picked himself up from the ground. He was muttering something to himself before he glared and readied his bombs. The raven skylark set a goal for himself. He would make sure that the school remained unharmed in his little adventure.

By the time lunch came around, Gokudera had given up, against his will anyway. He was exhausted and slightly amazed that Hibari still had the will to go on. Gokudera's legs had given way while Hibari stood completely unfazed. But Hibari was smiling that weird smile that sent shivers down Gokudera's spine. He had clenched his fists together to ready himself for the final blow but it didn't come.

Instead, the raven had turned away with a little scoff on his lips. It only irritated Gokudera more, but he couldn't even drag himself back up. He could only mentally promise himself that one day, he'd kick the perfect's ass. Besides that though, he glad that he didn't need to be around the bastard any longer. Hibari slipped away wiping the corner of his lips free of blood and fixing the blazer that sat on his shoulders. That fight, he deemed, wasn't half bad.

Gokudera had improved from their very first little mishap. Keeping the fact in mind, Hibari returned to the halls. Passing by Sawada's classroom, he watched as the students were dismissed for lunch. There was nothing amiss yet. But perhaps it was because he had taken the loud one out earlier.

"Oh… Yamamoto… have you seen Gokudera-kun?"

Yamamoto shook his head. Kyoko jumped into the conversation too and pointed out that she saw Gokudera in the morning but not since. Hibari hadn't realised that he had been fighting for most of the day. An amused chuckle escaped his lips and caught the attention of the trio.

"Hi… Hibari-san?" Tsuna stuttered.

He was in the middle of hoping that nothing had happened and that nothing will happen. Somehow, Hibari had been more irritable since they got back. But perhaps that was because Tsuna had been nosy enough to ask about the raven's adventure and how he had managed to get back. Tsuna knew he had made his mistake the moment he parted his lips but curiosity still got the better of him. He knew that the raven couldn't be held back but still, it was amazing that the skylark had managed to get away without anyone noticing—Dino, especially, for that matter.

"If you're looking for the herbivore," Hibari grinned viciously, "He's on the rooftop."

Something about the way he spoke sent the message across clearly. _Take this as a warning_. Tsuna did not have to know how badly injured Gokudera was, he just knew that Hibari could probably do worst. Hibari always managed to speak volumes with just violence alone. The only problem this time was that Tsuna had no idea what it was that he was supposed to keep quiet about. Shuffling out of his seat, Tsuna clenched his fists together tightly and brushed by quietly as he went searching for his friend. Yamamoto followed in suit with a glare.

Hibari walked on off towards the committee's office. He felt no need to go any further with his warning. Settling down on his chair, Hibari opened up his lunch box and began to savour his meal. He wanted to enjoy his meal but it was never easy on school grounds. Today, things were a little quieter than he had remembered it, but perhaps it was because he had been having lunch in silence for the last few months.

A roar echoed from the rooftop but he continued to eat slowly. The content of the conversation wasn't important. He could deal with the ruckus if nothing else was going on. Hibari had learnt that restricting the freedom of students during their break was pointless.

After the bell rang again for classes, everything became quiet again. Hibari was in the middle of delegating the papers piled up on his desk. Why he had them, he had no idea but Kusakabe was going to be the one taking care of it. Hibari wouldn't have it any other way. The paperwork was always too troublesome and not stimulating enough to make the raven's blood boil. They weren't challenging at all.

Once he was done, the raven had begun to nod off thanks to the peace that had settled over the school grounds. As usual, Hibari never slept too deeply, unless it was in his own futon and at home. He was always alert just so that he could take care of trouble, not to actually get out of it. Hibari welcomed it when he proved worthy of his time. A good fight was always a plus.

Thus, the raven skylark did not open his eyes until all classes were dismissed and club activities had ceased. He took one last stroll around campus and made sure all doors were locked. Anything that was left behind, Hibari returned to the lost and found with a sigh. He never understood how students could be so forgetful. He turned the lights where they were left and made a mental note of those he should warn again for being forgetful.

That would happen the very next day though. Hibari was used to the cycle. He just didn't understand how the rest of the students and staff didn't. He had made it as simple and clear as possible. At the exit, the skylark switched his shoes around and then made the final exit by jumping the gate.

The trip home was pleasant. There was no one following him around—not that anyone dared in Namimori. The skylark took into his hands the box of Japanese treats with a nod. The old lady that sold them gave them to him every day as thanks for keeping the troublemakers away. She always smiled despite the glare that she received and always prepared the best treats.

Over time, Hibari had learnt to just accept it. He nodded these days, because the old lady seemed to have missed his work. Once he realised that there had been a lot of trouble around his favourite candy shop, the raven had made sure to drill the knowledge in deep. He was never going to leave for that long again.

Namimori was his home and home was the most comfortable place to be. The old lady waved him off and Hibari only walked about another few meters away. Once he had made sure that she had managed to close without trouble, he headed home. The treats always made him want to have tea. Putting little restraint on his desire for tea and sweets, Hibari decided on spot and hurried home.

He settled quickly. The raven changed out of his uniform and put it back up on the hangers before returning to the tea room. He grabbed the sweets and his current read and then set everything down as he brewed his tea. Sitting down comfortably, Hibari left his tea and sweets side by side as he picked up his book. Life was good, a little indulgent but the raven was used to having things done his way.

Running into the fantasy world of his book, Hibari only looked up to pick up his cup of tea or a piece of sweet. Just like that, he completely forgot about the presence that bothered him and the parka that sat at the very end of his closet.

—

Chinatsu had punched him one. It hurt more than he had expected to, but then again, he shouldn't have said it in that way. His cheek was still swollen and it was already the third day. Romario had laughed, saying that Dino's level of tact had dropped because of his lack of time spent with women. He had nodded absentmindedly in agreement.

However, thanks to her punch, they had managed to come to an agreement of some kind. Chinatsu had returned to being her cheery self and Dino had wished for just a second that they hadn't talked it through like that. She was once again too happy and hyper. Actually, she had become comfortable since then and just went ahead to do whatever it was that she liked. She had claimed that there was no point in hiding anymore.

It was more exhausting than Dino had imagined possible. But next week it would be over. Unable to stand it anymore, Dino had pushed everything out of the way and arranged for everything to happen earlier. After coming to terms with Chinatsu's situation, Dino had sympathised. It was not hard to, given that they were in similar positions. Besides that, he had wanted to go back to his normal lifestyle as soon as possible.

Dino yawned tiredly and moved his eyes to find the clock. It was only ten pm and he was starting to feel sleepy. But perhaps it would be best to have an early night for once. That was Dino's plan until Romario stepped through the door and asked him if he was ready to leave. The blonde titled his head to the right with a bright but questioning smile. He just wanted to sleep.

"If you're not ready then we can push it back." Romario informed him, "It's not a problem."

Dino was confused until Chinatsu passed by with her luggage. She was dragging it along as if it were the heaviest thing she had ever laid her hands on. At that moment, it clicked and Dino flashed a brighter smile. He had completely forgotten about it after being drowned in his work.

"It's fine, it's fine," Dino waved his subordinate off, "I'll just go get my parka."

He had completely forgotten that their attempt at finding "Toshi-kun" had gone to waste. Chinatsu had requested that he allowed her to go look personally and without any reason to reject her request, they had pushed the plan ahead. Besides that fact, she always looked homesick when he wasn't looking. Dino didn't want his mansion to become a cage.

Dashing out, Dino flashed Chinatsu a smile and told her that she could get on the jet first. He returned to his room and rummaged through his closet for the parka that was nowhere to be seen. He scratched his head for the memory of where he may have put it but nothing came to mind. There was no way that the maid would have packed it in his luggage. He always took it with him personally.

"Did they forget to wash it?" Dino muttered as he got to his feet.

He found the nearest maid and asked but she shook her head, saying that she hadn't seen it for weeks. Dino frowned as he searched his memory but it was Romario who had come to present it to him. His right hand man had chuckled while saying that Dino had given it away a few weeks back.

"Ah! That was my parka?" Dino exclaimed.

Romario nodded while hiding his amusement. Dino clicked his tongue and settled for another jacket so that they could go. But he was frowning for the whole trip, even when he had fallen asleep. The flight was relatively quiet and peaceful. Both Dino and Chinatsu had fallen into a deep state of sleep soon after they had boarded. Romario was grateful because he was the one that stayed awake to do the extra work.

He really did feel that it was amazing to keep someone hidden from the Cavallone family. However, logically speaking, they did not have as much influence in Japan as Vongola or the Satous'. Dino had said that this was personal and did not want to involve Reborn in the mess so they never requested help. Romario was truly surprised that even after days of looking; they hadn't found a clue as to where Miura Toshi could be.

The man was either really good at hiding or he was dead. He was sure that his Boss and Chinatsu were sitting on the same thought. Chinatsu just didn't want to come to terms with it yet and Dino allowed it to be. Romario could only hope that the Don's kindness didn't backfire one day.

—

Dino did not visit the Sawada household on this trip back. He felt that it was best to keep a low profile and when he went out, a disguise was always used. They still needed to buy themselves a little time and they needed to stay away from her parents. Chinatsu took up one herself and went everywhere that she thought Toshi may have gone but it was all pointless.

He was nowhere to be seen and there were no traces of him having gone back to any of those places. There were no notes or hints left behind. Dino could not tell if Chinatsu had given up yet. She was always cheery after a disappointment, saying that she had another place in mind. However, wherever it was that they went, there was nothing there.

Still, Dino willed himself against saying it. He didn't like the idea of death very much either. It was a little sad to think about. But today was the last day of the time that Chinatsu had requested. Dino had no idea what it was that he should be doing to rectify such a hopeless situation.

"Dino-san," Chinatsu snapped at him with crossed arms, "Stop being so down! Do you really hate the thought of marrying me so much?"

That set him straight. Dino stood up tall and plastered a grin across his face. He didn't understand how she could say such a thing so loudly in public and not be embarrassed in the least. It wasn't until later, that Dino realised that was her very last attempt at escaping.

"Anyway," Chinatsu waved her hand, "Since you're here, you'd best try Chiyo-san's sweets. They're the best in all of Namimori."

She dragged him along with a bright laughter. Dino hid himself behind her with a lowered head. He just couldn't keep up. Chinatsu was mumbling something to him as they entered the store. The old lady greeted them with a smile, saying that she'd be back soon. In her hands was a small box of treat offerings.

And just like that, the Cavallone Boss and the Namimori perfect crossed paths without meeting.

* * *

Still too busy to leave personal replies but thank you for the new follows, faves & reviews guys ^^. And my apologies in advance if I got MIA in the next few weeks! _


	13. Chapter 13

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

**A/N:** Some profanity in this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Kusakabe stood stiff as he recited the report. _Troublesome_, was the thought that floated around Hibari's mind as he listened. When he saw it, he had hoped that it wasn't. The raven skylark did not want to go there. He had just gotten himself out of the mess, but Kusakabe's report was dragging him back in again.

"Hibari-san?"

The raven put off his reply for a short moment. He stole a glance at the clock and sighed inwardly. Tapping his fingers on the table, the skylark made his decision on spot. There shouldn't be a need to hesitate when it came to a student of the school, let alone a graduate. Hibari stood up instantly after he made his choice and left his duties to the second in command. Kusakabe nodded and loudly proclaimed that he would not let Hibari down.

Hibari turned the trouble into a positive with his thoughts. He'd beat the crap out of all of them and make his point clear. The excitement that came with that prospect made his blood rush within his veins. He pushed the thoughts of his beloved school behind and went down to the centre of the town, back to the place that he had last heard about the young man.

The perfect ended up borrowing old lady Chiyo's rooftop as a booster to assist his view. He didn't stay up there for long. As he had expected, it seemed that noon was the time for those herbivores to be entertained. Hibari had mixed feelings about the situation but he brushed it aside. The safety of the students and their wellbeing as a citizen of Namimori was more important than that—unless of course, they were the ones breaking the rules.

Before the man cried out in agony, Hibari had descended and ruined lunch. The waste of food didn't bother him too much. He just knocked them out of the way and threw a few kicks at the men who were stupid enough to fight back. Perhaps they hadn't recognised him yet, but soon they would and then regret would come crashing down on them.

"It seems that you've forgotten that this is Namimori." Hibari said, voice lightly threatening.

One of the five lunged at him without much thought. Hibari returned the assault just as thoughtlessly, driving his tonfa in deep and sending the man flying towards his comrades. The man was coughing up some blood as he forced himself to stand back. He had opened his mouth to retort but closed it shortly after recognising the raven perfect.

Instead, he had clicked his tongue in annoyance and forced an apology out of his throat, "We didn't realise it was you… _Hibari-san_. Do forgive us."

He muttered something else to his friends and continued to push them backwards while searching for an escape. Hibari had no intentions of allowing it. Leaving the one he had intended to rescue behind, Hibari went for his fight first. Stopping them from leaving and making sure that it hurt was his first priority.

A smirk graced Hibari's face as he cornered one of them and knocked him out with a strong blow to his head. The tonfa made a satisfactory clonking sound as the man's knees folded. The screams and cries that exited his prey's throat sent a chilly chuckle out of Hibari's lips. They were all begging and apologising but he wasn't hearing it.

The raven made sure to draw blood and made sure that it hurt enough that they'd be hospitalised for a while (and would receiving minimal treatment thanks to Hibari's influence). When he had finally reached his final target, the skylark made sure to leave some pretty words behind for their boss.

"You make sure to tell him that if he keeps this up, I'm coming for him next."

The man nodded furiously but wasn't spared in the end. Hibari dug the sole of his feet in deeply and twisted it just to cause a minor burn. And after making sure that they were all in a deep state of sleep, Hibari allowed his guard to lower slightly. He was still irritated that Satou could think of letting such things slip by him. Retracting his twin tonfas, the raven skylark approached the person he had originally come to retrieve.

Poking the broken body, Hibari watched as the man squirmed and finally turned to lie on his back. The raven watched as the man's chest rose and fall. After a moment of steady breathing, Hibari finally picked the man's body up and dragged him along. When they reached the end of the alleyway that lead to the town, the raven pulled the blazer off his shoulders and covered the man up.

Hibari didn't really mind what the townspeople thought of him but he wanted to avoid being chased before he could get the man to a safer place. Once they reached Hibari's home, no one would dare to pursue them any further. Besides that, he wanted to return quickly to the school to do the last patrol.

The perfect dragged the nameless face out of the centre of town and back to his home. He settled the man into a spare room and scratched his head as he stood by the door. He didn't want to clean up the mess of blood at all but the man was leaving a very unpleasant stench in his home. The perfect tossed up a few ideas up in his head and finally flipped his phone open.

Kusakabe picked up instantly and the raven could hear his second in command rushing over as they spoke. Noting that further conversation was unnecessary, Hibari ended their conversation and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He returned to his own room, took out another blazer from the many that he had and fixed it back neatly on his shoulders.

And as he expected it, Kusakabe arrived loudly. The first thing he did was apologised and then asked for the details of his task. Hibari debriefed the situation to him in few words and then left the second in command to his own devices. The perfect returned to the school to oversee the last few hours and repeated his daily routine.

On his way home, old lady Chiyo had stopped him again, properly this time to offer the treats. Hibari waited for a moment wondering why she wasn't closing up but then realised that she had customers still lingering. Thanking her in his own way with a curt nod, the raven took the box of sweets home and was pleasantly surprised to find that everything was clean and the smell of blood was gone.

The perfect enjoyed his dosage of seeing blood but it was to be done outside of the home. Kusakabe had learnt well.

"Ah, welcome home," Kusakabe said when he spotted the raven.

"Hn." Hibari murmured and then tacked on, "I'm home."

It was not that he felt particularly close to Kusakabe. It was just that Hibari valued the Japanese cultural practices. The raven didn't bother to change his clothes and went straight to the guest room. His guest had now been thoroughly cleaned and tucked in more carefully than Hibari had left him. His visit was brief. He closed the door shortly after and motioned for Kusakabe to follow him.

"His condition?" The perfect questioned once comfortably seated.

Kusabake stood straight and answered with a clear and loud voice, "He should be fine after some time in bed, that's what the doctor said. He'll need a lot of water and to have his bandages changed regularly."

Troublesome crossed Hibari's mind again but his face remained blank. He had already decided that Kusabake would be taking care of his guest. Once the man was well, Hibari would send him away. He had already done his part as the discipline head. He had no plans to go any further than necessary. Kusakabe understood his duty without any orders or words.

"Would you like me to move him back to my place?" Kusakabe offered, "I've still got room."

Hibari raised a brow but said nothing for the time being. It would make things a lot more convenient for him but could they risk losing the man again? Hibari didn't want that extra trouble. He'd really rather not involve himself with the Satou family unless it was absolutely necessary. He had made an exception this time only because the man had formerly a student.

"No, you can stay in the other room for the time being," the perfect offered lazily, "Make sure you look after him."

"Of course, Hibari-san."

The raven nodded and then retreated to the peace of his own room.

—

Despite all the hard work they had put into their façade, Dino and Chinatsu ended up standing out too much. Reborn had spotted Dino first and caused the problem. His ex-tutor had made a huge ruckus out of his arrival without any notice. Explosives went off in all sorts of directions and gathered the attention of all. Somehow, they had managed to avoid the Namimori perfect. Chinatsu had sighed in relief while Dino was stuck sitting uncomfortably with his knees folded on the tatami mat of her family's home. They had been 'saved' by the Satous—taken in to avoid the wrath of the relentless perfect.

Reborn snickered on Dino's shoulders, "You need to be trained again."

Dino refused to take any bait on that. He was neither going to agree or disagree. Training with Reborn was still hell, no matter how he would improve. He suddenly remembered the person that Reborn had mentioned before and titled his head to bring his tutor's face into view.

"Wasn't there someone you wanted me to meet in Namimori?"

"You don't need to meet him yet," Reborn replied, "Be patient."

Dino asked no more. He had learnt to that questioning Reborn's intentions always came at a price, one that he was no longer willing to pay. The days when Dino had just sheer will to refute what his tutor said was over. Now, there were too many things to consider before deciding to jump to his death. Shortly after their silence, Reborn had hopped off of Dino's shoulder.

"Well, I'm off," Reborn said casually, "Enjoy your time as a bachelor."

There was a snicker in Reborn's voice but Dino ignored it. As he had told himself earlier, he was not going to take that bait. Instead, as soon as Reborn disappeared, Dino dropped the shift posture and his straightened back. There was no one else there now. Chinatsu had gone off somewhere and Dino was told to wait. He had done just that until Reborn had showed up to spite him.

Dino heaved a sigh and rubbed his shoulders free of the pain that had settled. Romario was not with him, nor were any of his other subordinates. They had been scattered, but Dino was sure that Reborn had a hand in that. The blonde did his best not to move from his place. He felt like he was in a dangerous zone and he didn't want to break anything in the traditional Japanese house. Some things were just irreplaceable.

The blonde soon dropped his relaxed posture to adopt the perfect kneeling position. He could hear footsteps approaching. Dino's body stiffened immediately when the shadow could be seen through the door. He really had thought that they would have been able to avoid the Satou family for another week but that ruckus really did screw things up.

As the door slid open, Dino painted a smile on his face. Chinatsu was giving him a weary look but he couldn't quiet register what it was that she was trying to say. Before they had any time to exchange words, her father was already onto him.

"What brought you back so soon?"

Dino could finally see the malice that was floating underneath the surface. Chinatsu and her father were having their own mental war.

"Oh," Dino pulled his smile wider so that it didn't waver, "Chinatsu was starting to feel homesick so I thought we'd visit earlier."

"Hm," Satou nodded in a scrutinising manner.

"Is it a bother?" Dino questioned soon after to keep the flow of the conversation going.

Chinatsu looked relieved as if Dino had just passed some kind of trial. Perhaps, she had been asked the same question earlier. They had not planned it out thoroughly, the part about being caught anyway. They had agreed to wing it but didn't really think of what they should have said so that their story would be consistent.

Dino answered a few more questions nervously but it seemed like it was right whenever Chinatsu nodded cautiously. Finally, the question that Dino and Chinatsu were waiting for came. As she had said, her father would try to push the idea of an earlier marriage on them. The question came out so smoothly, that Dino almost forgot his place. The blonde forced himself to recover quicker than his usual.

"Ah, yes." Dino nodded in agreement, "I was thinking the same. It's becoming quite busy for me so this would be good timing."

Chinatsu heaved an inward sigh in relief again. Dino was a man of his word and she had taken advantage of that. She still couldn't believe how easy it was for her to burst into tears and have him at her feet, offering to aid her in her search. The Cavallone Boss was too kind for his own good. Chinatsu could only hope to show him a few good things before he's stuck with her for life.

"Ah! No, I'll be fine at the hotel," Dino protested when her father had suggested the idea of staying at the Satou estate, "My subordinates are waiting."

"Are you sure, Dino-san?"

The blonde smiled brightly, "Yes, I've some work to take care of as well, so please excuse me."

"Ah, I understand," Satou turned to his daughter. "Chinatsu?"

"Yes father," she cocked her head slightly, "I'll walk Dino-san to town."

"You're not coming with me?" Dino questioned, genuinely surprised.

"I'll come with you after the wedding," she joked, "I'd like to catch up with my mother."

Dino stood up, while holding back the urge to rub his knees. He really was used to sitting on chairs and not his limbs. He smiled brightly as he said his goodbye and followed quietly beside Chinatsu. Whenever they were together, he preferred it if she was the one that was talking. When it was her, he could drop a few light comments here and there, but when he was forced to start the conversation, the Don had nothing interesting to say. He really didn't think that she'd appreciate talking about his work.

Once they were on the street, silence seeped in. There was no longer a need for Chinatsu to act cheery just to throw her father off his game.

"Are you sure you want to stay in that place?" Dino queried gently.

She nodded slowly. "I'll look around my home while I have the chance."

That wasn't a lie, but she really doubted that she'd find anything. Dino nodded his head in agreement with her justification. They had been avoiding the Satou estate so the chance that Miura Toshi was there was actually quite high. Dino had to admit that when she put her mind to it, Chinatsu was pretty capable. The air of childishness easily disappeared when there was something important that she needed.

"Why don't you go on a few dates while you can?"

Dino chuckled. There was no need for that. He had been rather cautious and didn't want to get into any more trouble in Japan. Besides that, he had a plan of his own. The blonde was sure that Chinatsu also had a few things in mind that she had no intentions of letting him in on it either. It was easy for Dino to tell that nothing between them could work. There were too many loopholes.

"Thanks, but I'll have to pass," the Don dismissed the idea, "It'd be too troublesome at this time."

She laughed and kept her thoughts to herself. The rest of the trip was silent as they took in their surroundings. The mess that Dino's ex-tutor had made had been cleaned up and Hibari was nowhere in sight. Chinatsu did not know if she was happy that she hadn't seen the perfect or whether she was sad about it. She knew that his network could help but the likelihood of him agreeing was low.

"Chinatsu," Dino called out softly. Chinatsu turned to see him wave, "The hotel is here."

She smiled and turned back with a small apology. Just thinking about Hibari had set her feet off on their own. She returned to Dino's side and stared at the entrance for a moment before she turned to face him, ready to bid him goodbye.

"Let me send one of my men back with you," Dino said.

She shook her head, "I'll be fine. Having them with me would make it hard for me to walk around town. I'd feel restricted."

"But—"

"It may not look it, but my father does have men around Namimori. Of course," she chuckled as she thought of the perfect, "He has to be careful about that too. The Namimori perfect is unforgiving."

Chinatsu was teasing him on purpose but Dino couldn't have picked up on it. All that came to him now was the fact that Chinatsu knew the perfect. _Of course she would_, his brain yelled at him, _this was her home_. He parted his lips to ask but she had instead, pressed her index finger against her lips and looked around cautiously. That shut him up instantly but he couldn't feel any malicious intent.

Taking the chance to slip away, Chinatsu turned on her heel and disappeared in the crowd. Dino frowned, not understanding at all. What was it about the Namimori perfect that no one was willing to say anything? Tsuna had backed away without any explanations, Reborn had told him to wait and Chinatsu had teasingly mentioned it but didn't indulge him in any more information. Dino would have searched on his own but Reborn's 'wait' and 'patience' should be followed to avoid any long lasting damage.

—

True to her words, Dino did not have to participate in the preparation of the wedding at all. It was happening all too quickly but that's exactly what Chinatsu had said would happen. Her father was desperate for this marriage to work. She had reasoned it easily, who wouldn't want to be allied with Vongola? Dino couldn't deny that prospect that the Satou family was looking for in their marriage.

It would be stupid to overlook the fact. But there was something more in it. Dino always felt like there was a desperate underlying. Chinatsu refused to speak of it and Dino stopped trying to get the information out of her. He had long decided that it wasn't going to turn out the way that they wanted. His plans had already been put into place.

—

"What?" Hibari leered.

It was the second time that the perfect had repeated the question but it wasn't meant to be answered. His cold and uncaring tone said it all. Kusabake had lowered his head and held his silence. He knew that it was going to be like this and he had warned the perfect's guest. Hibari was relentless. Even if the man was still tattered and torn, the request had earned him a good knock across the cheek. The raven had tried his best to hold back but old habits were hard to break. Kusabake was sure that he heard a crack but the raven's guest forced himself to sit back up, eyes strong and determined as he stared.

"Please, Hibari."

"Don't drag me into your mess," the skylark claimed as he picked up his book again.

"Hibari," he pleaded again.

"Go ahead," the skylark said, "I'm not stopping you—in fact, I'd be happy if you left."

The man frowned but made no real effort to move. If he really wanted to, then he'd have to crawl. He wasn't going to give into that because he knew that the perfect was waiting for it. However, with the news that Kusakabe had presented at his request, he just couldn't stay still.

"Hibari," he said again softly, "I've a fucking broken leg and a fractured rib; you really think I can make it to the church on time?"

The raven glanced at the clock, "If you start crawling now, you'll make it."

Kusakabe hid a snicker. That would have been a sight to see but he did feel pity for the man. Crawling there and reaching the next day would defeat the purpose. There would be no element of surprise and the likelihood of him actually making it there unharmed (anymore) was low. If Kusakabe had known that it would make Hibari that irritable, he wouldn't have looked into the issue but the man was very desperate. He said something was off and his senses were right on the dot.

"You know that's pointless," the man pointed out with a frown, while gently rubbing at his stomach, hoping that the pain would go away. He had refused to take any more painkillers. They put him to sleep easily and he really didn't want to sleep anymore than he had to.

"And you're wasting your time, asking me."

The brunet clicked his tongue in annoyance. He already knew that Hibari was hard to deal with and even harder to persuade but he had thought he'd done well. However, having being saved by the perfect meant nothing. Whatever it was that prompted Hibari to save him was gone and there was no way of finding how to use that to have the perfect help him out again.

Kusakabe was not willing to help any further. The man was loyal despite the way that he had presented himself.

"Hibari-_san_," there was a minor pause, "_Please. _I will remember it for the rest of my life."

"You should engrave my saving of your life on your skull first."

He was really hard to get through. The brunet had nearly parted his lips to curse again but bit his lips shut. The perfect had saved his life after all and he could only beg, not complain. Then again, he couldn't tell what kind of effect his words were having on the raven. Was he pissing the young one off or was he actually slowly pushing him forward to the idea of helping?

"Is there something I can do then?"

"No," the raven deadpanned and finally got up.

The brunet sighed and gave up. Hibari was finally fed up and his behaviour showed that clearly. The raven walked quietly out of the room and entered another to continue his reading. Once the door was closed, Kusakabe had turned to the brunet and smiled.

"Don't worry, Miura-san," he said with a small smile, "Hibari-san is considering it."

Despite uncertainty, there was a bright gleam in his eyes, "How do you know that?"

Kusakabe chuckled, "Hibari-san didn't manage to flip even a page of his book."

—

"Well, shit."

Chinatsu twirled in her white dress and blinked quizzically, "Something wrong?"

"No, no," Dino waved his hands around frantically. Now he really had to admit it, "You look gorgeous."

Chinatsu had become a lot brighter in white. Her hair was done up nicely like usual, but it wasn't the same messy style that she liked it. Every strand of her hair was in place and he couldn't even find one that stuck out of place. It looked thicker than he remembered it, now that it was all gathered and tightly knotted.

He had avoided it for as long as they've been together. However, he couldn't keep silent on an 'important' day. He felt too guilty to just stare and not give his opinion at all. In his experience, girls thrived on such words. Chinatsu returned his words with a very bright smile. She ought to. She believed that this would be the only time she wore the white dress. Even if it wasn't ideal, she would treasure the memory.

Dino only offered statements and no questions. If she was still around, it meant that her search had been fruitless. However, Chinatsu didn't let any sadness show. He could only conclude that she was stronger than she let on. But there was nothing about Chinatsu that could surprise him anymore.

"Take a deep breath," Dino said suddenly.

Chinatsu who had been staring at her reflection jerked her whole body around and looked at him blankly. But then very slowly, she broke out into a smile. Dino felt like he shouldn't have witnessed it. He had never seen a person transform like that and it was a scary sight. At that moment, Dino realised that he didn't mind fake smiles, so long as he didn't see how it came into play. It looked like it tormented her.

"Okay!" Chinatsu exclaimed brightly, "Off you go."

Dino wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. It seemed like he had come to say something, probably reassuring words but Chinatsu didn't need it. It was far too late for her to take a step back and it was completely useless to try. Her father had allowed her to search every inch of the Satou manor and all of their other hideouts. There was no sign of him at all. And her mother had verified that with all the seriousness that she could gather.

She sighed inwardly and slipped on the white gloves. That would be the last of it. Just as she turned to go and find her father, he had stepped through the door, decked out in a nice suit and his best smile. She crushed the urge to punch him for the snicker that he was hiding and tried her best to sound calm when she spoke.

"Father…"

"Are you going to ask me again?" He chided softly, "I told you that I've let him go."

Well, he escaped but that had been a definite plus in Satou's book. There was no way that Hibari Kyouya would get involved anymore. He had decided to leave the perfect alone. It had aided him when Chinatsu couldn't find the man within his territory. He had put the idea of loss aside when it gained him his daughter's temporary trust. A broken leg and fractured ribs would leave the man bedridden for the next few weeks at the least.

"C'mon Chinatsu, you look beautiful," Satou grinned, "Let me show you off before I send you away."

She offered no comment but did gently place her hand on her father's arm. It was all an act and she knew it clearly. Her mother was playing along as usual. However, there was something different about her mother. Satou Misaki had laughed it off and said that there was nothing that Chinatsu had to worry about. She guaranteed that Toshi was free, alive and would probably be kicking.

Chinatsu resented and loved both of her parents in her own way.

Chinatsu sighed once before she stepped into the church with her father. He had his men outside standing guard just in case. But his carefulness was probably put to waste. She felt like something was going wrong anyway. Her father was too happy and had overlooked the factor of Dino's guests. They did not appear to be the same range from the people that had attended the engagement party and the majority of them today, were men.

He had told her that in the rush, he only ended up inviting the closest. The Vongola group was near the front with Reborn sitting on the future boss' shoulder. Dino had turned to her with a smile but there was something hidden underneath it. He had a plan. She didn't know what and frankly couldn't care so long as it didn't mess up her plans.

"Be nice to the Vongola brat," her father muttered as they walked.

"You should have arranged for me to marry him instead then," Chinatsu bit back with a bright grin.

Satou pulled his smile and tightened it on his face, "Marrying a child is pointless. Besides, he may not succeed. The ties that Cavallone have with Vongola won't break even if the brat doesn't take over."

It was ugly and she knew from the beginning but it still disgusted her. She was saved from conversing with her father any further when they had reached the front. Satou said a few words to Dino before placing his daughter's hand in the blonde's. Dino had smiled and chuckled. Chinatsu kept her silence and her vision on the ground. Noting the tension in her shoulders, Dino squeezed her hand tightly.

Chinatsu stole a glance to find a reassuring smile, as if he was saying that it'd be alright, he wasn't going to let anything go out of hand. How she wished that he knew exactly what it was that she wanted from him. Chinatsu crushed that thought too. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy but standing here now, none of her cheeriness could pull her through. He wasn't the person she wanted by her side.

Chinatsu had zoned out and before she knew it, half of the ceremony was completed. She didn't know which part of it they were up to, but the loud sounds outside the church were distracting enough to pull her back into reality. She glanced up at Dino instantly, wondering if this was _his_ plan, but he returned her with an even more confused expression.

"What is all that ruckus…" her mother murmured.

The priest had stopped speaking and her father stole glances at the door. It seemed to rock but then there was nothing major anymore. It was silent for a good minute or two. Once he had gotten the okay, the priest cleared his throat and started again.

—

Kusakabe and Miura knew to stay silent. The raven skylark was more irritable today than any others. Kusakabe could already guess what was on pending for his punishment. It would be days of work and nights of reflection in all the horrible ways that he could think of. The second in command shuddered at the thought but continued to walk steadily with Miura's arm draped over his shoulder.

The brunet held his silence no matter what kind of treatment he received. The glares were no longer intimidating and he started, or he had hoped that he was starting to understand the perfect a little more. Besides, it was as Kusakabe had said. The skylark was really going out of his way. It was a neat trick to learn, disturbing the raven during his reading time and slipping under the cracks. But Miura knew to keep that to himself. He would probably be bitten to death if word ever got out.

Besides that, he was very, very thankful to the perfect. Hibari had said that he only went out of his way the first time because Miura had been a former student at Namimori Middle School. He believed the perfect but it seemed like a trivial reason. After all, he never believed Chinatsu when she said that her friend treasured anything that was related to the school. He was just glad that nothing on his 'profile' had anything saying he was damaging school property. If it did, he was sure that he'd be long forgotten.

With Hibari and Kusakabe's assistance, they had managed to get there in less than the time he had predicted. He was grateful but his rib was really starting to hurt him. He had refused the pills again. How would he be able to coherently say all that he wanted if he was drugged up until the point where he couldn't feel?

As expected, the church was heavily guarded. Once he saw the sight, Hibari allowed a smirk to creep onto his face. Violence seemed to be the only thing that pleased the perfect but Miura and Kusakabe had no complaints. If the guards were in the way, they would not get through. There was no need for words between anyone standing there. The raven had readied his twin tonfas and had moved out.

Kusakabe just closed his eyes while Miura watched in awe. He finally understood the idea of excelling in what one enjoyed. It was fascinating but somewhere deep down, Miura felt sick to his guts. He had never seen someone with so much joy in blood before. Every one of them seemed to back away but the raven skylark didn't spare them any light of day. Of course, no one died. They were just all badly injured enough to be hospitalised for months.

At the end of his battle, the perfect stood victorious in the middle of the crowd with a grin on his face.

"Well, that wasn't bad."

Slowly, Kusakabe had walked Miura towards the door. The perfect was dusting his clothing and twisting his limbs to stretch them out. Miura knew that this was as far as the raven would go.

"Hibari-san," Kusakabe had called out quietly, "Don't you think there'd be more of them on the inside?"

Miura had placed his hand gently on the door and leaned against it. He felt like he didn't have enough strength. It was the final step but he felt like he couldn't physically make it. The mocking scoff that escaped the raven's lips put him on edge. He gritted his teeth and forced the pain away as he began to push. The door rocked back and forth like it was teasing him.

The raven finally shrugged at his second in command and raised his feet to knock the door open. There was a loud groan from the man that was standing behind the door. There were clattering sounds and startled gasps coming from the people inside. The perfect stayed hidden by the sunlight behind him as Miura fell face first into church grounds without any support.

* * *

Racing against time as usual! I shouldn't even be here so sorry for the lack of replies! Thank you for the faves, reviews & follows 3! Enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys again soon, I hope!


	14. Chapter 14

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Dino was just about to claim "I do not". He was interrupted by the door crashing in and missed the moment to coolly decline the marriage. It would be very last second, but that would make it final. The question was clear and his answer would be without doubt. He had a few close relatives in the crowd that would witness his reasoning but just to be safe, most of his guests were his own men. Dino knew that things could go wrong if he were to turn it down. He had prepared and was glad. An intrusion was no small issue.

Before he could register anything else about the intrusion, Chinatsu had shrieked in horror and disappeared from his side. When he had located her, she was halfway down the aisle, screaming incoherently. Dino nodded at Romario, giving him the signal to make sure that the situation did not get out of hand. The blonde ordered for his men to stay in place and made sure that no one was hurt in the chaos that Chinatsu was creating.

Chinatsu's parents had stood up and stared. When her father had attempted to move, Dino had stretched out his arm to stop any sort of movement. He didn't want anyone out of place until he had found out exactly what was going on.

"Please do not move," Dino requested.

The blonde examined his surroundings. His friends from Vongola had nodded and kept their guard up. Reborn was already asleep on Tsuna's shoulder. That instantly told him that he had nothing to worry about. He scanned it again anyway. It was clearly not a full scale attack. The man slumped at the very back of the church was injured and Chinatsu was wailing her eyes out. The shadow that he saw at the door disappeared as soon as he blinked. Romario had locked eyes with his boss and nodded. That meant that there was no need to worry about an ambush.

"Please stay where you are," Dino said again to Chinatsu's parents and requested that his men keep them in their place.

Slowly, he made his way towards the back of the church and placed a gentle hand on Chinatsu's shoulder.

"Are you—"

"Natsu-chan…"

Dino froze on spot but his mind raced. This was the man that they had been looking for. At the very least, this confirmed that he wasn't dead. But he wasn't moving very much either. The broken leg could be seen clearly, but what was the other problem? Chinatsu had cushioned the brunet's head on her knees and he was safe but the tears did not stop flowing.

"I… I'm so glad you're alive." She whispered.

"And I'm glad…" he chuckled, "That you're looking just as beautiful as I imagined."

She punched him, probably harder than she had punched Dino. The blonde winced for the brunet and took a careful step back. Lately, all he had seen were violent women. There were a lot of them in his world and he wasn't sure whether it was something he ought to be embracing. He didn't really want to become a victim of their strength.

Miura whined, "Hey, watch my rib! It's fractured."

Dino found himself to be amused even as Chinatsu started wailing again. It seemed that only this man could deal with Chinatsu. She was playful and he was even more so, even when his life seemed to be threatened. The situation had mellowed out with their little banter. Only the questions remained.

"Allow Romario to have a look at his condition." Dino suggested.

Chinatsu nodded even though Miura had shook his head in rejection. He already knew what was wrong and he could tell him if Chinatsu wasn't crying so loudly. But he sat and remained quiet on her lap as the man named Romario examined his condition. He stole a glance at the door but could only make out the bodies lying within the sunlight. Hibari and Kusakabe had left. He shouldn't have expected for the raven skylark to stay and watch the show. It was probably troublesome in his eyes.

"Where have you been?" Chinatsu whispered.

"At Hibari's since a week ago," he answered her question with the same tone, "He brought me here. I do have a broken leg if you haven't noticed."

Miura was glad that she didn't punch him this time. Chinatsu really had to hold back her violent gesture. She knew that it was something she had picked up from her old friend. She just wanted to slap herself and did so mentally. Why did she not go find the raven as soon as she landed in Japan? That had been silly of her. And now, she realised that she was the one in his debt. Did Hibari even know what he had done for her?

"Nothing life threatening," Romario reported.

"Good," Dino said with a nod.

"I'm glad," Satou had interrupted, "If it's nothing big, may we continue?"

Dino twisted his body around instantly. The man had somehow slipped away. Satou's words earned him a cold and hard stare from his daughter. She leaned Miura against the chair and then stood up to face her father. She was very angry. Dino heaved a sigh and stepped away. He had told the Satous to stay away from them for a reason.

"You lied to me," she accused as she ripped the end of the long dress apart so that it would be easier to move. Her actions were aggressive. It manifested her anger easily, "You told me that you had let him go."

She had used the pin that was in her hair to stab through the material and then proceeded to drag it through the fabric. The sound of the fabric tearing was horrifying. It seemed like it was screeching right next to his ear and it only got louder. Dino was glad that he hadn't pissed her off till that extent.

"I did," Satou said without flinching. "He said so, didn't he?"

"Unharmed." She deadpanned.

"Had to get the message across," he shrugged in return, "It's nothing a few weeks of rest won't fix. Don't be unreasonable."

Dino watched the exchange and felt his stomach churn. Family troubles were always so ugly. He was just glad that no one was going to die today. He'd make sure of it. But the Satous were very dysfunctional in his opinion. Despite the arguing that was going on Satou Misaki remained in her place, only now, she was comfortably sitting and watching the drama unfold. _Arranged marriages_, Chinatsu had said. If that was the result, it was definitely ugly.

"You're the one that's unreasonable!" She spat at him and discarded the useless white fabric, "I was really going to go through with this marriage! You lied to me."

That was news to Dino, but he didn't find it surprising. The activities of the Satou family had become something normal to the Don.

"Chinatsu!" He roared, at this point completely forgetting where he was. "You will—"

"Not," Dino finally interrupted with a sigh, "I had no intentions of going through with it. I was going to call it quits and that's not going to change."

"WHAT?" Satou barked.

Chinatsu had paused and turned to stare at Dino. She knew that he had a plan in mind but she certainly didn't think it was this. She had thought that they would marry, without love and a few years in, he'd let her go—or she'd hoped. However, if that was his decision just now, she could understand. This marriage had only been troublesome. She had tried countless times to get away from it and had caused a lot of problems along the way.

"I cannot condone such a thing," Dino explained, "You threatened Chinatsu with a life that she cared about."

Satou parted his lips, knowing exactly what to say but nothing managed to escape his throat. There was no room for argument. He could see it clearly in the blonde's eyes. He was stern and serious in his accusation. Satou wouldn't deny the fact anyway. The man that he had broken was right in front of them and he was sure, Miura's words would be the ones to persuade. Satou never liked the man and never would. Miura Toshi was no good and he would be a useless addition to their family. He wasn't going to accept a lowly commoner into their ranks.

"Chinatsu," Dino turned to her, "I've no intentions to marry. You are—"

"That is not your choice to make," Satou interrupted, "If you've nothing to do with us anymore, you have no say in anything that has to do with Chinatsu's life. You will come home and stay away from that commoner."

Dino sighed. Satou just didn't get it. If not husband, Dino was more than willing to be a friend. However, before he could say anymore, the clinking and clonking sound of Misaki's heel distracted them all. Dino assumed that it was about time for her to speak up. He couldn't understand the ability she had to be patient and just watch. Amusing or not, life wasn't meant to be played with. He hoped that she would say something worthwhile. Knock some sense into her husband, perhaps.

However, Misaki was very gentle about it. She added no more drama to the situation, though she would have liked to. She simply brushed by her husband, not sparing him a glance as she pulled her daughter away. She fumbled around with her clutch purse and then pulled out some notes and then pressed it gently into her daughter's hands. Even Chinatsu was surprised by the course of action that her mother had chosen to take.

"What… what is this for?"

Misaki blinked, wondering why her daughter was so clueless, "Well… money for survival until you settle down."

"M-Mother?" Chinatsu shook her mother lightly, "Are you alright? Did you hit your head somewhere?"

Chinatsu looked at her mother bewildered and if she had any less respect for the woman, she would have called her crazy. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate the fact that her mother was actually picking a side this time, it was just odd. There was no reasonable explanation. How would her escape make it any fun? Chintasu's surprise and shock caused the lady to frown. Finally, the lady showed an expression other than amusement. She looked hurt and then exhausted as she sighed. Her daughter was really, really slow today.

"I am telling you to leave and never come back."

Satou was fuming, "What are you saying? Are you crazy?"

"Sane," Misaki answered promptly, "And I meant what I said. How much do you want to dissect the words?"

Chinatsu sighed. She was so wrong. Of course her mother was gaining some form of enjoyment out of her father's reactions. Both Dino and Chinatsu intervened to protect Misaki from harm when the saw the fury floating about. The lady had chuckled and took a step back.

"We can't both be bad parents," she said.

She didn't mind being the bad one, but her husband's actions didn't allow it.

"Misaki…" Satou growled, "I thought we agreed on this."

She blinked again and then sighed, "I remember holding my silence to your suggestion."

Misaki looked at Miura and then offered her hand. He was surprised but took it with the intention of only shaking to be polite. Therefore, he was startled when she had pulled him up. The woman had strength. She kept him on support and smiled, at the sound of his yelp. He suddenly felt very hopeless.

"Will you promise to look after Chinatsu?"

"Of course." His reply was instant, despite the pain that was threatening to silence him. "I thank you for entrusting her to me."

Dino was exhausted just standing and watching. He kept his gaze on Satou but his mind wondered. If Satou Misaki had always intended for it to be this way, why did she wait? Why the trial? Was it really necessary? Or did she care that much for her daughter?

"Take her far away," Misaki requested and motioned for her daughter to carry her own baggage. Misaki was a believer in taking responsibilities for one's own choices. "You are not allowed to come back, Chinatsu."

She was startled but only for a moment. Chinatsu recovered quickly and smiled warmly at her mother. She hated admitting it but this was probably the best thing her mother had offered her in her whole life. There was nothing else she would ask for even if she was given the chance.

"I understand."

"I'm not allowing it," Satou whispered and then repeated in a louder voice. "You're not leaving."

"Chinatsu is old enough to make her choices," Dino replied and then turned to his right hand man, "Romario."

Romario nodded and gathered their men. Dino allowed no one to pass or to harm. But there wasn't really a need to. By the time his men and the couple had gone outside, they realised that it was completely safe. All of the guards that would have been in the way, had been left unconscious. Romario looked around curiously but saw no sight of anyone standing. He turned to look at the couple, but they were too busy catching up to provide him with an answer.

Chinatsu left her lover in the care of Dino's men and dashed towards Romario quickly, "Where… are you taking us?"

"Wherever you'd like to go," Romario smiled gently, "You're free to use the jet to arrive that the location and be untraced."

Romario was taken aback when Chinatsu flashed a real smile his way. He hadn't looked for it when they were in Italy. In fact, he didn't think someone who still lied despite being confronted about it, had the ability to do so. Returning her gesture with a small smile of his own, Romario began the process just like Dino had instructed.

—

"Unacceptable!" Satou had roared and attempted to chase.

Dino still stood in his way, this time with his Vongola friends beside him for support. He always thought of them as children. They were still young and had a lot of time to endorse in other things, but when trouble came up, they all stood their ground like men. Even_ Tsuna_ and that was saying something. But perhaps it was because it was Tsuna that Dino accepted it easily. The young Vongola-to-be was kinder than them all.

"Please do not make this any bigger than it already is," Dino requested gently.

The man chuckled, "You're no longer involved. Don't interfere."

"You really don't want to make an enemy out of the Cavallones," Dino sighed, "She's currently under my custody. Besides that, I've said it already. I will not be forming an alliance with the Satou family."

Satou had stopped listening. Of course he didn't want to make an enemy out of those who were aligned with Vongola. That was pointless, but now, it seemed impossible to get anything out of it. The man put his hands up in defeat, surprising Dino in the process.

"I understand," he said, because he did, not because he had accepted it. "Then please move aside, I will not interfere with the people within your custody."

Dino stepped back, wondering what had suddenly happened. But there was no reason to stand up against someone that was not a threat. Slowly, he turned towards Satou Misaki and blinked. He had hoped that it would be okay. However, before he could even voice his question, she had flashed a bright smile at him. To his surprise, he was reassuring and quite powerful.

"A-are you sure?" Dino questioned softly.

"Of course," Misaki smiled at him, "I'll have you know, my grandfather adores me."

Satou shuffled uncomfortably. Dino knew right at the moment that Misaki had protection from someone that Satou was afraid of so he didn't have to worry about it. Misaki patted his shoulder gently and disappeared with a chuckle on her lips. It was then that he realised that she did seriously enjoy the drama. All of her actions attributed to it. Dino asked no more questions, verbally or mentally. He was just glad that he had somehow, managed to avoid a whole mess of rivalry and family problems.

The young blonde sighed in relief once the church had cleared. His Vongola friends frowned when they gathered. Tsuna was definitely sad, Gokudera had sighed for all the trouble and Yamamoto was just empathetically there. Dino ended up chuckling and waving dismissively at the young ones.

"You heard me; I wasn't planning to go through. No need to be upset."

"But… you…" Tsuna started kindly and couldn't bring himself to finish.

"Honestly, Tsuna," Dino grinned, "Perhaps we should head home for dinner."

Dino loved Tsuna's mother's cooking. He had planned to eat it every day until he had to return to Italy. At the mention of food, the bubble that Reborn had produced had popped and the hitman had woken. He smiled and Dino smiled back. Tsuna and his friends were the only one who jumped when the tutor spoke up.

"Dinner, hm? Mama's making a feast today, to celebrate." Reborn snickered.

He knew it would turn out like this, so didn't bother inviting her along. The drama would have been too confusing for her. Instead, he just tipped her on the fact that Dino was going to be visiting. Dino's eyes lit up instantly once he had dissected the meaning behind Reborn's cheer. It wasn't exactly happiness, but he couldn't help thinking about the feast.

"You shouldn't be happy Dino," Reborn shook his head and teased. "Mama's expecting your wife."

The light in Dino's eyes faded quickly, "Y-You told her?! Like… you're serious?!"

Reborn shrugged it off, "Because you didn't."

"How… am I supposed to get myself out of this mess?" Dino fretted.

Reborn smirked and nudged Tsuna to move. He was going to have fun watching the show. And if he deemed that Dino had done a good job at entertaining him, he'd let the blonde in on the little secret. After that, he'd go and do some research on why the raven skylark had intervened.

It was truly surprising for Reborn, but Hibari was not someone that went by expectations—except in regards to his strength and willpower.

—

Sawada Nana ended up taking pity on Dino. He couldn't get himself out of the mess. In the end, he had lowered his head in shame and took the gentle pat on his shoulder without a word. Reborn was very happy but Tsuna only seemed more upset. In the end, before he left, Dino had to explain every single detail of the recent events. It was only then, that Tsuna had stopped frowning.

Romario had returned just in time to pick the Don up. His bright smile assured Dino that everything was under control and that there wasn't a problem. The pair that had left the country would not be traced and they were content. Romario and the Don said their goodbyes politely. Before Dino exited the door, Reborn jumped onto his shoulder and chuckled mischievously.

"His name is Kyouya." Reborn said, "A problem child."

Dino titled his head in confusion, "You want me to pick up a stray?"

"No, you fool." Reborn jabbed Dino with Leon, "Tsuna's cloud guardian. I'm letting you know in advance so you can prepare to deal with him. Ah, but don't go looking for him right now. He probably won't listen just yet."

"Oh…" Dino nodded, "I'll look into it then."

Reborn hopped off, "Make sure you keep in shape too."

The blonde agreed to that request without question. It went without saying and he thought nothing of it as he sat in the car on the way back to his hotel. The next morning, he would be back in Italy to take care of some business. The ride was relatively peaceful, until Romario finally spoke.

"Boss," Dino's right hand man had said when halted at the red light, "Chinatsu-san has left us… with a reason as to why her father desperately wanted her to marry into the Cavallone family."

Dino lifted his head and found Romario's eyes through the mirror. He had finally stopped thinking about Reborn's problem child. In his mind, he didn't understand how it worked. Tsuna's cloud guardian to be was feared in Namimori, but did that necessarily make him a problem?

"It wasn't just Vongola?"

"No," Romario replied, "Apparently, there is a treasure within the Cavallone mansion that he wanted his hands on."

That was not really any news. They had ten generations of history. Their treasures were probably in the basement, if they were not on the walls. Chinatsu had been there for a long time. She could have easily taken it. Dino could only assume that she hadn't managed—or hadn't even tried to look for it.

"Did she say what?"

Romario shook his head, "She said that she has no idea what it is, exactly."

The Cavallone Boss frowned. That really wasn't helpful and if she had no idea what it was, how had she planned to ever find it? Dino couldn't think of what it was that they may be looking for and he knew of every valuable they had in the mansion. But perhaps that was the exact reason. There were too many. Dino also understood that there were some things he wouldn't know about, but there would be information on them. He was sure that they had been recorded in some way.

"Is that all she said?" Dino questioned.

For all he knew, the information could be wrong.

"I believe she said it was priceless," Romario repeated what Chinatsu had said, "Something that she had no hope for but her father was insistent. Apparently, from the information that her father had found, this would be a timeless treasure."

"What kind of source was this?"

"A diary," Romario replied quickly, "Well, an extract of it anyway. Seems to be authentic, in Chinatsu-san's eyes. It's very old."

Dino leaned back into the seat and crossed his legs, while contemplating the information that he was given. The blonde had to admit that he didn't know everything about his ancestors.

"Hm."

Romario added on, "She said, that they had found the extract somewhere in Sicily. The details of the mansion were very clear and exact. She cited it to me and I'd really have to agree. I can't seem to put my finger on the priceless item. The information that Chinatsu provided indicates that it is a treasure that the writer couldn't keep his—or her—hands on."

"Makes no sense," Dino chuckled, "This person managed to get within the mansion and lived long enough to write a detailed account but couldn't take the treasure away?"

"Yes," Romario nodded, "I believe that's what attracted the Satous."

Dino paused for a moment. He'd definitely have to look into this.

"Sicily huh?"

Romario agreed again, "Yes."

The blonde yawned and then pushed the issue aside for a short moment. When morning came, he told Romario to plan a trip after their return. Sicily was probably a good place to take a mini break. He could do some snooping down there before he had to head back to Japan, as requested by his ex-tutor.

—

Three weeks later, Dino returned to Japan with the Vongola rings in hand. He had taken some time out to try and explain the situation to Tsuna. It wasn't getting through, even with Reborn's help but that was to be expected. It was still sinking in and having people get hurt in front of him, didn't help persuade him. Tsuna was thinking that staying away would protect, but Dino had learnt to believe in the opposite. Dino knew that being strong allowed him to protect those that were dear to him.

The assignment of tutors went quickly. Reborn was prepared and Dino had a few tricks up his hand for the problem child but wasn't sure that it was going to work. Reborn had been vague and Dino didn't discuss the issue with his men. The blonde was finally given a position where he could nurture someone. He was going to try his best with the least help possible.

Romario nodded, still holding his silence. He simply followed his Boss. Dino placed a grin onto his cheeks and opened the door. Reborn had told him that it'd be hard, so he tried to be as cheerful as possible. A problem child was who he was told he'd be dealing with. Reborn never told him what the exact problem was.

"Kyouya?" Dino questioned gently. He had to be. He didn't know this boy.

The glare sharpened. "Hibari Kyouya."

"H… Hibari Kyou—"

Dino's shock was halted by the raven skylark. Hibari's tone, the familiar coldness of it sent chills down his spine. He didn't think that it was possible for the events to turn out like this. He was told that he was going to tutor this extremely problematic child. And problematic wasn't even beginning to cover it.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dino. Someone who's like an older brother to Tsuna." Dino replied. He had always preferred using his first name. "I also happen to know Reborn."

The raven had finally lifted his gaze, but he wasn't even looking at Dino properly. Reborn's name was more than distracting. Dino panicked internally. God, Reborn had played him. He was fidgety but didn't allow it to show. Hibari didn't seem to recognise him. Perhaps it was the way he had introduced himself. He didn't catch the raven's interest. Whatever Dino had said to explain himself was lost to the raven. And Dino could only confirm that he wasn't dreaming when the raven stood.

"… as long as I get to bite you to death."

Well, that was something he hadn't heard in a long time.

* * *

Well, I had no plans on covering anymore on Chinatsu and Toshi. They were my plot device and I think I've hinted enough at their relationship. To cut it short, they've been together since high school and will continue to be. And I'm sorry for being late, but that's better than never right? And sadly... to say, I have lost track of where I've left the personal replies. I apologise once again but I do thank you for your faves, follows and reviews 3 they mean so much to me!


	15. Chapter 15

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Dino's only real break was when they were changing locations. Other than that, the raven barely allowed a break. And as much as Dino missed the rooftops, he was glad to be travelling. Hibari could use some sightseeing—both for insight and distraction while Dino caught up on sleep. The raven skylark had been ruthless in his training. He wouldn't admit that it was helping but at least it was clear that he was enjoying the challenge. Now that Dino knew his true identity, there was no need to hold back—not that he could.

Hibari Kyouya liked to push Dino and he wasn't satisfied if the blonde wasn't trying his best. The raven's potential shone brightly now that Dino saw him every single day and sparred for most of it. It was very easy to see why Reborn wanted the stubborn one to join the rest and become a part of Tsuna's family. Not only was he strong, he was the only one who fitted the description of the cloud so easily.

But that's what stumped Dino. Hibari moved at his own pace and rarely relented to another's. That should have been clear from his memory of the raven, but now that he saw the real thing, what he had seen in Italy couldn't compare. What was presented to Dino months ago was an _extremely_ tamed down version of the perfect. The blonde had no hope of seeing the skylark compromise again.

He did find that there were things he could offer to make his life a little easier. The perfect liked to have good eating habits. Dino made sure that he always offered good food for their breaks. It had a positive effect in earning himself a break but at the same time, it almost always sent the raven away completely.

It was reiterated to Dino that solitude was important to the raven. Now that he wasn't obliged, he wasn't going out of his way to try and make it comfortable for others. Dino was no exception, even when he had tried to bring up their past days together. In fact, when the blonde had first brought up the topic, Hibari had glared and then proceeded to roll his eyes. He said that he didn't remember a thing.

The Don had almost found it traumatic. No one had ever said that they couldn't remember him before. Dino was a memorable person, sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes for the lesser ones, but still, memorable. When he began trying to talk the situation through, Dino realised that Hibari didn't bother to commit his first name to memory and had slowly forgotten about his existence after his return to Japan.

It made sense at that point. Dino wasn't anyone of importance now that Hibari was free and back at home. Dino would have forgotten the raven too, eventually, if they were tied together by the Vongola. However, now that they were going to share a profoundly better bond than they had originally, Dino was set on making himself unforgettable. Hibari would need it for many reasons. Even as a cloud, the raven skylark would need to learn a few things to keep him going and Dino could provide for that. Reborn had entrusted him with the task after all.

Dino dropped his body back and stared up at the sky. Shortly after his temporary peace, Romario had returned with a snicker to inform him that the raven had disappeared again. There was no need to worry much but Romario still brought the news. Hibari always returned for the fight. And they were both sure that the perfect was more than capable of looking after himself. Independence was one of his best traits.

"You should probably eat too, Boss." Romario suggested lightly.

His smile was bright. Dino knew that the man was enjoying the experience.

"Are you sure you didn't know about this?"

Romario feigned hurt, but his words were honest, "Of course I didn't Boss. If you had told me his name was Kyouya beforehand I would have informed you."

Dino tossed a pout around but that didn't solve any of his problems. He picked up the sandwich that Romario had brought and devoured it. He also drowned the next bottle of water that was passed to him and then the break was over. The raven had returned with the same gloomy expression that wouldn't disappear until they started fighting again.

"Kyouya," called Dino with a gentle smile. "Did you enjoy lunch?"

A glare said nothing but he had to accept it. Hibari had said it once that Dino shouldn't ask unnecessary things that didn't concern him but the blonde had chosen to ignore the cold advice. He was going to butt in, just because he had the authority to. Besides, he liked the raven. Dino wasn't sure what kind of like it was and how deep it ran but he did enjoy Hibari's company when they weren't fighting. That was almost like the few minutes between their spars and the spare minutes before bedtime but it was enough. The raven skylark was calm and collected, said a goodnight out of respect and then disappeared, but it was a gesture nonetheless. And it was encouraging.

"Stop talking," Hibari demanded the moment Dino attempted, once again, to make simple conversation, "I'm sure you've rested enough."

The blonde knew that frowning would earn him a hard hit by the tonfa but he couldn't hold the expression back. When the Don had finally gotten back onto his feet, he was ready to spar again. He constantly told himself that it was good training on his part too, so all he had to do was endure it. After all, it couldn't be any worse than Reborn's training.

Hibari shot a glare at the whip in Dino's hands. He really didn't like that choice of weapon at all. And what's more, if it wasn't for it, Hibari could have happily gone on to forget all of the events that had happened in Italy. Nothing had rung the bell at first and Hibari had been content to keep it that way.

But he couldn't forget the way that Dino moved, the habits that he had developed and allowed Hibari to pick up on during their brief sparring sessions in Italy. And now, the raven skylark couldn't forget if he wanted to. Since their so called training started, he hasn't won yet. Romario always made sure to stay nearby so that Dino's clumsiness didn't show.

The perfect would have kept silent about remembering, but Dino had proved to be even more annoying than he had remembered. The blonde was set on making his life as unenjoyable as possible while he was around. The talk of rings happened almost every day, no matter how many times he displayed his disinterest. The perfect could see that Dino had set many goals for himself.

"Try harder, Cavallone," demanded the perfect.

As usual, he liked to push his limit. Besides that, at present, there was no one other than Dino in Namimori that was worth fighting. The raven put most of his effort into fighting and what was left into trying not to get hurt. Every time he did, the blonde would take a step back, feeling the guilt pool at the pit of his heart. It was clear in his expression and that was kind of entertaining, but what came afterwards, was the troublesome thing.

Dino always insisted on treating Hibari himself. It was a part of his job, the Cavallone Boss had reasoned but the perfect wasn't planning on buying any of it. Somehow, he figured that Dino liked touching him and pissing him off through that. Hibari had learnt to show indifference rather than anger to fuel Dino, but most of all, he learnt that he should just avoid getting hurt.

Touching the Don without reason and restraint wasn't something that he enjoyed. However, not getting hurt at all was impossible. The perfect always ended up with some bruises and a few cuts. Dino was working to cut it down, but that action of going easy, earned him the wounds. It wasn't easy going against the raven. A lot of his wants were contradicting.

There was a pause in their little game of chase as Dino stopped to catch his breath. Once again, the skylark had left another cut on his cheek. Wiping the blood away, Dino parted his feet slightly and focused on Hibari's stance. The boy had good stamina and he'd have to say, it seemed to improve each day. He was still paying a lot of attention too, even after all that exercise. Reborn's eyes were never wrong.

"Kyou—"

The perfect grimaced. Dino deflected the tonfa that flew at him and forced a smile onto his face. He had hoped that his way of addressing the young boy would have rubbed off by now, but it hadn't. And speaking of which, Dino had really wanted to dig a hole and jump inside. He had almost—almost, back in Italy—molested a child. The thought had caused such a shock, once again, that Dino nearly tripped over himself.

However, what made him fall was the raven. Hibari had been relentless in his attack. Dino was left on his butt and his gaze on the raven's feet. He put a smile onto his face, even though he was threatened by the cold steel.

"You're not trying."

"Just exhausted," Dino defended, "Shouldn't you rest up anyway? The day is nearing and we'd have to head back early tomorrow."

The raven narrowed his eyes. Dino allowed no words of retort to escape the perfect's lips before he continued his argument quickly.

"You need to be in top condition to make sure they fix the school right?"

The raven clicked his tongue and pulled away. The reason was so-so, but the talk of the school that he loved so much easily won him over. Even if the perfect was on his deathbed, he'd make sure that everything would be restored to the way that it had been. Retreating quietly, Hibari left Dino there to pick himself up.

The Don pulled his feet straight and followed at a good distance. Romario followed by his side, keeping his silence and only speaking when addressed. Both of them, the Boss and his subordinate felt like it would be best to remain as quiet as possible. Staying on the raven's good side was something that they were striving to do, for this short period before the end of the battle.

Besides that, Hibari wasn't exactly problematic, just difficult to please. Distance was something that Hibari demanded and that was the exact thing that Dino couldn't provide. Still Dino worked hard and had finally learnt to tolerate it, but sometimes, the raven would display a cute side of himself that acted exactly like a magnet, drawing Dino closer. The blonde stopped questioning whether it was intentional or not. Asking too many questions was easily deemed annoying.

And that always meant that he was back at square one.

Well, whenever the raven was stuck looking at Enzo, Dino was ahead by probably three steps. The first thing that Hibari had mentioned, when Dino had tried to get him to remember was Enzo. Dino had to admit defeat to his little pet and honestly, he was envious of the turtle. The perfect slept with him most nights and talked to Enzo more than he did Dino.

Lately though, with some productive interaction, Hibari would ask a few questions, if he felt like Enzo wasn't happy or hadn't been feed. Dino took advantage of that.

"Kyouya!" Dino called, as the neared the traditional resort, "Do you want to come with me to feed Enzo?"

The raven grimaced as he turned, "I told you not to call me that… but yes, I'd like to go and feed Enzo."

The Cavallone Boss smiled brightly with a nod. He cheerily led the way and the raven followed with a frown on his face. He wouldn't smile until he saw Enzo. Romario steered clear, but stayed within reach so that his Boss would not fall every few minutes. Though, he need not worry. Hibari was kind of enough to watch out for the little turtle's owner, when he was in their company.

The perfect was patting the turtle's head gently before Dino brought the food along. It was actually funny, in Dino's mind. When in his dry form, Enzo's food was pretty much smashed into smaller pieces but when he was soaked, he could devour a house in minutes. Dino couldn't wait to one day shock his student with the new image. But for now, getting onto the raven's good side was his top priority.

The raven skylark took the plate from Dino and placed it in front of Enzo and then took some food out of his pockets and lifted his hand to Hibird's beak. A minute smile broke onto the raven's face as the bird nipped at his fingers and Enzo ate happily. Dino was always happy to see the sullen face brighten, but he was neglected.

He was seated safely next to the raven—no chance of any clumsiness slipping through if he was firmly seated—but the raven wasn't paying him any kind of attention. It was hard to even start a conversation about anything remotely normal because Dino would have to drill the information about the rings in, but as soon as the topic came up, everything was dampened again.

And as he had learnt, Hibari Kyouya was strangely manipulative and good at getting out of a sticky situation with just his frown. Dino dared not offer any words to ask for a change. Actually, personally, the blonde didn't think that the raven needed to change. He was fine the way that he was, if one didn't piss him off.

"Hey, herbivore," the raven spoke and only passed a short glance around.

Dino ended up staring at the perfect's side profile with his mouth agape. It took him a long minute to recover before he fixed his tone and spoke gently, in between being the tutor and a friend—if the raven would have him as that.

"What is it?"

It was rare that Hibari turned to stare, so Dino just allowed it to happen. He had thought that he didn't mind being scrutinised but this was different from when it happened in Italy. Back at home, Dino didn't ever think too much into it. The role that Hibari had played then, gave him reason to stare. Now, Dino didn't know what to think. What was the raven looking for, now that he was looking at Dino, as the person that he really was, and not who he was pretending to be?

Additionally it kind of burnt when it felt like Hibari wanted to burn a hole through him.

"You look tired."

Dino kept the smart comeback to himself, "Mm."

There was a pause on the raven's side. He seemed to be tossing a few things up in his head, but as soon as he spoke again, Dino wanted to slam his face against the floor. Manipulative, the perfect was.

"Then I'll be taking Enzo off your hands tonight."

"Eh?" He blurted out, "Enzo?"

"You said you were tired," the skylark stated with a frown.

The hint of a pout knocked gently on the door of Dino's heart. The blonde could not bring himself to argue. He had agreed, even if half-heartedly. Dropping his head in shame, Dino went on to give the raven permission to take his pet for the night. There was a brief thanks and a short goodnight that escaped the raven's lips before the room was empty again.

"Goodnight!" Dino called out anyway, hoping to be heard.

The door slid to a close and then an open again. As expected, it was Romario who had entered to pass on a goodnight and ask if his Boss needed anything else. Dino stayed sitting and shook his head. He knew that the raven was cold, but every time he was rejected, it still hit hard.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Um… didn't you ask this question before, Boss?" Romario scratched his cheek apologetically.

Dino titled his head. He had no recollection.

"Well, Hibari-san is… different," Romario tried to rationalise it, "He's a child—well, not exactly. He is stronger than that and he's definitely not a female. Frankly, I don't think you're doing anything wrong… just missing the target."

"Romario," Dino deadpanned, "That's not really helpful."

"You didn't really want any input before," his second in command frowned, "Besides, I'm sure you'll work something out. Reborn-san believes in you."

"You mean he likes to watch his students suffer," Dino muttered to himself.

Romario chuckled, "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"Yeah," Dino nodded, "Goodnight."

The Don set up his futon and then went for a quick shower. He didn't want to sleep with all the sweat on him and the resort was a great place to soak. He didn't want to waste the opportunity to relax as well. Dino washed all the sweat off his body and then went in for a good soak. Although it was easy to fall asleep in the warm spring, Dino made sure that he was occupied. It wouldn't do him any good to get sick right now.

Dipping his body into the spring, Dino allowed the heat to warm him up and the silence to put his mind at peace. There was no doubt from the Don that Hibari would win. The boy was determined. But it wasn't all determination. Hibari had strength and it only continued to grow. Dino wouldn't have imagined it possible to this extent if they had continued to stay in Italy.

He was proud of his student nonetheless. Dino was happy to train the raven skylark and happier to be contributing to Tsuna's succession. It brought him many new experiences and reunion with the perfect could be counted as a blessing. There hadn't been a dull day since they've started spending it together.

Removing the draped arm over his eyes, the jellies darted around in search of the stars sitting in darkness. What caught his attention instead was the solid grey of the raven's eyes. The perfect had his arm hanging from the window pane and eyes locked into the darkness of the sky. The two little pets danced by his side happily. Dino broke into a huge smile just watching.

And then he couldn't hold himself back, "Kyouya!"

Dino had called for the raven with the loudest voice he could produce and proceeded to stand up to wave frantically. He wanted to get the skylark's attention and hoped to catch the full smile that was on his lips as he watched Hibird and Enzo play. However, instead of the smile, the raven skylark shot him a look of disgust.

And then the tonfa came flying by and knocked Dino unconscious in the spring. Without looking back at the bare body, Hibari retreated back into his room, slide the traditional door shut and tried hard to sleep without thinking about how shameless Dino had been to flaunt all of that skin.

* * *

Thanks for all the new reviews, favourites & follows! 3 And I apologise for the late chapter. It's short but I hope sufficient! Now... to study for exams _


	16. Chapter 16

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

As Dino had anticipated, Hibari had won the first battle easily. He was a little more than irritated because he had been used, but he bit back as much as he could (even if it wasn't as satisfying as he had hoped). However, when they battled again, this time with Tsuna, it was seemingly more enjoyable and it resulted in a more favourable reception of the potential Vongola. After that, Dino had managed to persuade the young raven to keep the ring on him with the promise of more fights to come in the future. He was surprised as to how well that had gone.

Shortly after their little improvement in bonds, Dino had been forcefully pulled away from the young raven, when work called. Although he rarely saw Hibari face to face, he always made sure to keep in contact by sending messages to Reborn—because he couldn't get his hands onto the number. It was a bond that he had worked hard to preserve and he wasn't willing to let it go for anything. After all, it was hardest to earn back the little respect and trust that he had obtained after the little flaunting event back at the resort.

But that was largely because it was an entertaining sight. Dino had showed up the next morning as red as a cooked lobster. Dino had been embarrassed at the time but when he thought about it, he couldn't help the smile that blossomed on his face. It was nice to think about how hard Hibari had tried to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape his lips. It was an unbearably adorable sight.

Unfortunately for Dino, that was a warning sign that he failed to notice. And the constant thought of bringing a bright smile to the raven's face didn't bother him as much as it should have. The Don was too occupied with other thoughts to think that far ahead. Work was extremely time consuming and he barely had a moment to spare any thought for himself.

Romario often frowned upon the alarming bad habit but held his silence. Dino had responsibilities that he couldn't even begin to understand. There was no way that he could really say any more. The second in command could only watch carefully and made sure that all the meals and short naps added up and made up for all of the lack of sleep that was taking the Don.

"How is that thing going anyway?" Dino questioned suddenly.

"There hasn't been much progress," Romario replied, "The Vongolas are helping us look though."

"I'd guess so. It really is old stuff—if it exists." Dino murmured.

Romario nodded. He was interested too. It didn't occur to them before but the Vongola worked mainly in Sicily. It started to make sense when Dino had pieced it together. If it were someone from that family, it was possible. He doubted it, but still, an investigation to clear his curiosity was probably the best option. Once he settled that issue, he would know to look out for the possible ulterior motives behind the endless marriage proposals.

Dino mused for a moment, "You said they're in Athens at the moment?"

"That's right," Romario nodded, "Doing well it seems."

Dino glanced around, "Perhaps we should send someone to get some more details. And just check things out. I've been receiving a lot of mail from Satou Misaki-san. She's really happy."

Romario snickered but did not comment on the state of the Satou family in Japan. Reborn was entertained outside of tutoring thanks to their constant bickering. Reborn had let them know shortly after they returned to Italy for the long interval that they didn't need to worry. Satou Misaki's grandfather was hard-headed and he really did adore her. It had been relatively quiet as well, with Hibari going around on patrols as usual.

"I'll arrange for someone to visit them," Romario offered, "I'm sure she's probably thought of a few more things."

Dino nodded. It was either that or an invasion into the Satou family. They had reason to, but he didn't really want to resort to that yet.

"Oh yes, we're ready to go when you are, Boss." Romario informed.

Dino smiled brightly at that. It was another trip to Japan. The sudden turn of events was shocking to say, but he could see the benefits. His tutor was getting married and well, there was no way he could refuse attending. Even then, it would be an emergency attendance to try and get Reborn out of the mess.

"Then, as planned for tomorrow," he smiled, "I'll be done."

Romario smiled, "I shall go and prepare some tea."

The second in command slipped away quietly and returned with some English breakfast and short biscuit. He set them aside and went on about his work. Dino worked quickly through the paperwork in excitement. There were a lot of things he could look forward to during this visit.

—

Shortly after landing, Dino had experienced a whole bunch of emotions, but it was always Tsuna that made him laugh at the most ridiculous things. The young Vongola still did many things that were entertaining, but still, it was good that they had managed to fix that arm back onto Reborn's replacement.

Everything else that happened after that was extremely hectic. The wedding hall was packed with people that Dino didn't know and he had enough evidence to believe that Tsuna didn't either. But then again, Reborn had so many identities and in such a small town, everyone sort of knew each other even if briefly.

Somehow, all the crazy events turned out for the better and Reborn had gotten himself out of the marriage. Bianchi was surprisingly easy to persuade if one was Reborn. The rest of Dino's evening was peaceful. He joined Tsuna and his family for dinner and then went on his way to check if Hibari was still working.

It seemed as though the raven skylark was a harder worker than he. Hibari was always locked up in the committee room, filling out papers, if not sleeping. Usually it was the former. Most of the time when he slept, it was on the school's rooftop.

"You could rest and visit tomorrow," Romario suggested, knowing that his Boss was beyond tired.

Dino smiled dismissively, "Nah, I'll be fine. Besides, someone needs to tell Kyouya to go home and sleep."

Romario said no more and continued to drive while wondering if his boss knew that he was completely smitten. It brought a smile to his face but he kept the expression to a minimum. He didn't want to alarm the young blonde and was sure that Dino would figure it out in his own time. So when they arrived at the school, Romario followed far behind and made sure to give the Boss his own space.

It was impossible to keep up completely anyway. Once he was on school grounds, Dino had dashed right off to find his student. The blonde tried the committee room first. It was on his way after all. As he passed through the halls, he was glad to see that all the damaged had been repaired. That was one less thing to worry about and it meant that the raven skylark wouldn't complain about it.

Before he reached the door, Dino slipped on his own foot. His nose was left red, but he didn't complain. He feared that he may wake the perfect from his slumber (if he was sleeping) and dampen his mood. The blonde pulled himself from the floor and rubbed his nose gently. When the pain was soothed, he pushed the door open quietly and looked around the darkness.

It looked empty but certainly didn't feel like it. Even in his state of sleep, the Namimori perfect had presence. Although he could not yet be seen, Dino was certain that Hibari was somewhere in the room. A smile stuck itself on his face when he found the raven lying on the couch with a book tucked within his fingers.

Dino ceased breathing as he watched Hibari's chest rise and fall. Although they've shared a bed in the past, Dino had never been awake to see the raven's peaceful expression as he slept. The blonde moved closer but made sure that he didn't knock or move anything. He watched for a moment, not noticing that anything was amiss. And when he did notice, he wouldn't call it 'amiss'. It was just something that was extremely cute.

It was then that Dino made a squeaking noise that woke the perfect from his slumber. He had regretted it, but couldn't wait to start asking why it had turned out to be like this. First though, the blonde had to somehow deter that tonfa that had appeared at his neck, in just a few seconds.

"Ky-Kyouya, it's me."

Hibari blinked several times to allow his eyes to adjust to the low lighting, but never did he lower his guard. He recognised the voice, but these days, that could easily have been a manipulation and for all he knew, it could be an illusion. And he hated those. However, only the real Dino could have such a goofy expression and the gentle air floating around him.

"Hehe," Dino smiled brightly once the tonfa had been lowered.

"What?" Hibari deadpanned.

"You're cute," the blonde confessed instantly without thinking, "Really cute."

Once the Don had realised what he had said, he had closed his eyes immediately. He was expecting to be hit, but instead, there was nothing at all. The raven had frozen up on spot. Dino had tried his luck by opening on eye and finding the light shade of blush on the raven's cheeks, he smiled.

"Kyouya…"

"Shut up," retorted the perfect instantly, "I'll bite you to death."

"I'm not lying so I won't," Dino replied, eyeing the parka that was sitting on the raven's knees, "Besides, you really are cute… I mean, with my parka covering you while you sleep."

"Park…a?" Hibari paused and looked down at his knees.

The raven skylark was bewildered as to why it was there in the first place. He was certain that he hadn't covered himself with it as he went for his nap. He was sure that he had draped it over the other couch and not himself. The raven skylark wasn't afraid of the cold; in fact, weather was irrelevant in his office. The temperature was always kept to be perfect.

His eyes flickered across the darkness in his office and it clicked, "Damn that Kusakabe."

"Hm?" Dino titled his head, smile still perfectly wide, "Did you say something, Kyouya?"

The raven glared intensely. He had lost count of how many times he had told this man not to call him by his first name. The message never got through and now, he had started responding—_had gotten used to it_. He didn't know whether to be upset at the intruder of his space or at himself for he was lacking.

"Nothing," replied the raven as he stood.

He grabbed the parka, stared at it briefly before tossing it into Dino's arms. He would make sure to punish Kusakabe the next day. Hibari had no other intentions with the damned parka. He had gotten news that the Cavallone Boss and his subordinates were in town for Reborn's wedding and had reminded himself that he was going to return it. That was all that he wanted to do. Now, Dino was thinking otherwise and it irritated him. He would need to beat up a few people just to satisfy his anguish.

"Are you returning it?" The blonde asked to confirm.

"I have no uses for it," Hibari stated blankly in return.

The raven was moving around his office and in that, moving away from Dino while he was at it. It was actually a normal occurrence and Dino could only blame his carelessness for what had happened at the hot springs. He could only be grateful that the skylark had not completely cut him off.

The raven ignored his company as he grabbed his own blazer, tossed it over his shoulders and exited the office. Dino had jumped to his feet and followed right behind when Hibari had picked up his face.

"Kyouya!" He called with minor steps to make up the distance, "Are you just going to leave without saying anything again?"

Hibari clicked his tongue and continued walking. He didn't have reason to stay, so he was going to go. Was it that hard to understand? There was a second call and a third, all under his name. It wasn't until the fifth that he had snapped, tossing his tonfa blindly and glaring when Dino finally shut his mouth.

"I've no business with you, herbivore so I'm just going to go on my way," Hibari said, "Now get lost."

Dino frowned, "Did I upset you by calling you cute?"

"No," came a firm reply, "I'm busy, unlike you."

Hibari resumed walking after he had picked up his tonfa. Being around Dino all the time made him feel odd and often drained his energy. He didn't like the friendliness anymore than he did when they had first started sparring and training. However, there were times when Hibari was content and that often caused him to feel something that was close to fear. It was an odd emotion and the raven didn't think he'd feel like that just because of another person. He was used to being alone but now, in the blonde's presence, it felt weird _just_ to walk away. That's why he was always trying to leave as soon as possible after their business was done.

"But I came all the way here to see you," Dino murmured.

"You came for the wedding," he corrected and continued to the exit of the gate.

"That's Japan. I'm at Namimori Middle School because of you," the Don refuted gently.

Hibari shuddered, "Don't you… or does it not sound as bad in Italian?"

"What do you mean?" Dino questioned gently, as he found that they had somehow ended up walking side by side. He didn't want to do anything to disrupt that and so he kept the other worries to himself.

"You need to work on your Japanese," the raven pointed out, "You're mixing up particles and you're…"

Dino had started staring with great interest and that had caused the raven to stop speaking. Hibari didn't want to take any responsibilities for encouraging such a thing—although he did think that it'd be best that Dino perfected his Japanese. Continuing on home in silence, he skylark entered a world of his own. He looked around himself to make sure that there weren't any trouble makers around. It was at that moment that he realised the fact that Dino wasn't being followed by any of his men.

"Hey Cavallone," Hibari called out, once Dino had walked passed him.

"Hm?" Dino turned with a smile, bright as it was before, "What's wrong Kyouya?"

"The herbivore isn't following you around today," he commented, "Seems that you've grown pretty apt at being on your own."

Dino's smile, faded very slowly from his face. He hadn't noticed that Romario had disappeared and now that the raven had decided to tell him, he panicked. It was dark out and he was on the bridge alone, while Hibari stood off on his own, looking oddly satisfied. The blonde wasn't afraid of the dark nor was he afraid of the dark, but there was something about Hibari's little smirk that made him feel extremely uneasy.

"No well…" Dino paused and searched his pocket for his phone.

He would have to tell Romario that he had headed off first. He had suddenly remembered that Romario was always nearby and the blonde had always informed his second in command if he was going to head off. Dino had been thrown completely off his game just because he had discovered a cute side that the raven kept well hidden.

"It's out of battery!" Dino exclaimed after several attempts to see some light from his phone, "Kyo-Kyouya?!"

The grin had widened on the skylark's face as he turned his heel, deciding that he'll take the long way home after all. If he was quick enough, he'd have some peace. He knew that in ability, Dino was continuing to grow, but at this stage, he was certain that the clumsiness was still with the Don. The raven skylark had every intention of using that to his advantage.

However, before he had even made it back around Old Lady Chiyo's sweet shop, Dino had rushed to get to his side. The raven had delivered a blow to his stomach out of reflex, without any mercy and carried on, as Dino crouched and rubbed his stomach. The Don didn't complain—he'd probably deserve that one. Why would someone run after another person in the dark? That kind of action was one that was definitely asking to be hit.

"Wait up, Kyouya! My phone's dead—I need to make a call to Romario at least."

The perfect continued walking, "That has nothing to do with me."

"C'mon Kyouya…" whined the Don with his face buried into the pavement beneath him, "Urgh… just my luck. Kyouya! At least—"

"Cavallone, you're disturbing the residents."

Dino didn't really think that he'd ever get the raven's attention today—he had done a lot of things that could easily have counted as annoying. However, it seemed that when it came to the town, Hibari was willing to tolerate. After all, a very familiar scene was unfolding before him and Dino couldn't work hard enough to hide his smile.

The perfect had a very exhausted expression on his face, but was still offering his hand. He was mentally cursing himself for the backfire of his plan. Hibari had expected Dino to stay in place, but now he was creating too much noise. Additionally to that, he was completely aware that he was without his subordinates. The man was once again, useless. And it was his responsibility.

There were only three options and he didn't really like any of them. Hibari wasn't going to hand over his phone—he didn't want Dino to find and memorise his number. It would be a nuisance to go back to the school, unlock the gate and head to the teachers' office for him to make a call. Home was the only option left and that was better than the rest because that would save both time and effort. Besides, Hibari was the owner and would have the means to make sure that Dino stayed out, when he was unwanted.

Dino grabbed onto the hand gently, trying his best not to seem too eager or too happy. That could have easily scared the young skylark off. The feeling was exactly the same as it had been the first time. However, this time, Dino noticed all sorts of things. These fingers were firm, slightly on the cold side but they certainly weren't as weak as they looked. The raven's skin was surprisingly soft, given that it wasn't a milky colour, but rather a paler white.

"You're going to make the call," Hibari instructed as he walked and dragged the Don along, "And then you're going to wait outside until he comes to pick you up."

Dino thought of a quick plan and then agreed so that he could make it safely to Hibari's home, "Okay."

The rest of their walk was silent. Dino had very slowly tightened his grip around the raven's hand and smiled merrily for the rest of the trip. His heart had calmed down by the time that they stood in front of Hibari's home. It wasn't as big as the Cavallone mansion but Dino was still surprised to find that the raven lived alone in such a big and old Japanese style home.

"From here on, you'll be fine on your own right?" Hibari questioned as he pulled his hand away, "There's no concrete so I don't have to worry about you staining the floors."

"That's the only reason you held my hand?!" Dino accused, feigning hurt.

"The phone," pointed the raven to the room at the end, "Use it and then leave."

The perfect had disappeared before Dino could ask for a confirmation. The blonde was left alone to explore until he had found the room with the landline in it. Dino had looked around him before he dialled and quickly told Romario that he was safe and could be picked up at Namimori Middle School in the morning. The Don had hung up instantly to avoid any further questions.

It was his first time in Hibari's home and there were many things he wanted to see. Hibari wouldn't be so cruel as to make him sleep outside in the cold. That was the only option left, if he wanted to deepen their bond in a shorter time frame. He wasn't going to allow the distance to create a gap. Besides, learning about the perfect's way of living at home would help inform him.

Dino had been left another for a good half an hour. He had managed to explore some of the rooms, but most of it was empty. While Dino was poking his head around, the raven had suddenly appeared behind him, voice as stern as always.

"I was wondering why your shoes were still at the entrance…"

"Oh!" The blonde jumped, "I couldn't get through to Romario you see… and its cold outside. You're not going to make me sleep out there, are you?"

The raven skylark raised a brow, "Didn't I return your parka?"

"How is that sufficient?!" The Cavallone Boss exclaimed, "The temperature drops at night! I promise I won't bother you… can't I stay the night?"

After a few moments of silent staring, the raven found that he was about to give in again. He really didn't want to find a dead corpse on the streets of Namimori the next morning. The perfect had sighed but beckoned Dino to follow him. He had had a feeling that things might turn out like this. Hibari wasn't even going to question the lie. It would be pointless if Dino was set on telling it.

"You can sleep in the guest room. I expect you to be gone before I leave for school."

"Eh? Why don't we go together in the morning?"

Dino had zipped his mouth instantly, shaking his head as he dismissed the whole issue. He probably shouldn't push the limits that he had already trampled all over. Although Dino had made up his mind, the moment he was shown to the guest room, he was left bewildered and had to raise his voice again.

"Am I sleeping on the floor?"

"Roll the futon out." Hibari pointed out tiredly, "Don't tell me you don't know how to do it…"

Dino dared not utter a word—he wasn't even going to repeat the word. It seemed like there were only a few things that could go right in one day. He was afraid that he would be called annoying and potentially kicked out, but the raven had shaken his head disapprovingly before going to set out the futon for him.

"You go it?" Hibari questioned, "When you wake, fold it back up."

"Got it," replied the Don promptly.

He received a curt nod but no punches, so that was probably a good sign. He caught the perfect yawning from his peripheral vision and it erased all sense of danger. Smiling, Dino reached out and ruffled the soft and silky hair.

"Good night," he whispered gently.

Hibari froze up for a short moment before his shaking shoulders caused Dino to pause. Now the blonde was just worried. The pain registered a moment later, when he realised that the door had been slid shut (with great force) against his fingers.

"Wait, Kyouya! M-my fingers!"

* * *

Erm... I think I should be studying! Ahaha, but first off, thank you for all the new follows, reviews & favourites! I'll be replying to reviews via PMs from now on, so don't hesitate to contact me there! And I apologise in advance if there isn't another update within two weeks, I actually have two exams on the same day that week so... yeah, need to buck down & study! I hoped you enjoyed ;]


	17. Chapter 17

**Tune of the Skylark**

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** M/M | Rating may go up | Cross-dressing Hibari | Slight AU | Might be OOC | Slow updates

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

**Pairing/Relationship:** D18 Dino/Hibari

**Status:** On-going

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary:** To repay his debt, Hibari promised to do whatever it bidding that needed to be done to make sure that the lady who once saved his life was happy and well. He had always managed to do his job well. However, the final task required more than strength and endurance. Hibari could stand the cross-dressing, but when the time comes, would he be able to finish the job?

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

The Don had slept in. When he woke at noon, he felt like all the energy had returned but, even with that, he couldn't leave the Hibari household. He couldn't go a few steps without an injury and he kept getting lost in the same room. The Japanese style doors all looked the same and with the way that he was falling, the Dino felt like he was going through revolving doors.

It really wasn't as big as the Cavallone manor, but the design was so confusing, it made him dizzy. Dino had ended up in the same room, five times and only noticed that it was the case when he recognised the little bonsai plant sitting on the corner table. That was about the only thing that decorated that one room. The rest were empty and plain—not even a family photo could be found.

There was no sign of the raven at all. There wasn't even a hint of it in the house. From the outside, it could clearly be seen that he liked the old Japanese style home but there was nothing really distinct about it. Eventually the blonde had given up on trying to find his exit and any kind of information on the raven's likes.

—

Most of Hibari's day had gone well, with exception to a few explosions in one of the classrooms. That was the one mishap that he had attended to himself. For the rest of the issues that arose, he had made use of Kusakabe to his fullest. In the end, he left his subordinate to sleep the night in the school halls. Being merely slave driven for the day wasn't enough to satisfy the raven's anger. He made sure that the wounds would hurt for days—a lengthy reminder.

Hibari left his duty at that. Kusakabe was on his knees apologetically even as the raven reached the gate of the school. Dino hadn't been a bother to the raven's thoughts until he spotted Romario standing by the familiar black car at the side entrance. It was hard to ignore, when the man had waved with a bright smile at him.

"Is the Boss not with you?"

Before he knew it, Hibari was drenched with annoyance. However, he played it off with indifference and a well practiced shrug. He made a quick and swift turn, leaving Romario minutely startled. The raven was going to stretch his limbs. As usual, he made his trip through town, picked up the sweets that was always ready and then headed home.

"Hibari-san!"

Romario had chosen to leave the car behind and follow closely. If he didn't, he wasn't sure if he was ever going to get the Cavallone Boss back. He knew better than to invade the Hibari household just to get the blonde back. If he could do it effortlessly and without trouble, he wouldn't have waited. However, both the perfect and his Boss weren't very cooperative beings.

"Don't you worry," Hibari replied with a deathly stare, "I'll send him right out."

The door was slammed shut in his face. Romario concluded that it couldn't possibly be a good thing but he did not want to make matters worse. The raven slipped off his shoes at the entrance and went about his routine as usual. He set his sweets down on the small tea table and hung up his blazer on the chair. Tweaking his plans a little, the perfect held his tonfa close by and went on a hunt for the blonde, whose shoes were still left neatly at the entrance.

Hibari couldn't understand why the Cavallone Boss was still around. The house wasn't all that big and the layout was simple. If he stayed to receive a beating, the perfect was more than willing to give it to him. However, by now, the blonde should have known better than to hang around when he was unwanted. Hibari needed his space and was determined to keep that at home. A moment of weakness had led him to abandon the principle but he had promised himself that it would only be a few hours at most.

Now that it was past that, Hibari was going to deliver the punishment. The person who had forced the act out of him would be the first target. Heaving a sigh, the perfect stopped by a still door and listened. Dino's soft and gentle breathing could be heard from the other side. Standing silently for a moment, Hibari decided to use a surprise attack rather than a flashy one. Which would give him more satisfaction right now? Did he want to land the hit or did he want a good fight on his hands?

Shaking his head, the perfect decided that he would beat Dino unconscious and then throw him out. The damage that could be done to his home in an all out fight wasn't worth it at all. Sliding the door slowly and quietly, he had readied his weapon to throw but halted upon seeing the Don asleep amongst his collection of books. Hibari clicked his tongue in annoyance. How could someone use his books as a shield?

Stepping over carefully, Hibari picked up some of his scattered books and placed them back onto the shelves. He had temporarily forgotten that this room was his little library. There was no way he was going to fight in there. He pulled the books that sat within Dino's grip too and placed them back in the order that he had memorised.

As soon as he had cleared the floor of his precious books, Hibari clipped his weapons under his arms and began to drag Dino out of the room. However, no matter how rough he had been, the Don continued to sleep like a log. It wasn't until the raven became careless that Dino stirred awake. The blonde had felt his head slam against the wooden door and had started rubbing at his wound.

Upon realising that he was being moved without his consent, Dino parted his groggery eyelids and blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Once he saw that it was Hibari dragging him, the reason didn't matter. A bright smile graced his features instantly. There were so many things he was happy about now that the raven was home. He could probably get some food and a discussion going about some of the raven's favourite books.

"Welcome home, Kyouya!"

Dino wasn't sure what he had done wrong but the perfect had dropped him on the spot without any warnings. A swollen lump was slowly developing on his head as he yelped. Batting one eye open, he watched as the raven went from frozen to shock and then something different altogether. He was unable to confirm the last expression as the raven had pulled away, walking away as he always was, but just slightly slower.

"Kyouya?"

Dino probed gently. He had twisted out of his dismay and started walking slowly after the raven. It looked as if the perfect was trembling but Dino couldn't be sure. Frowning, he placed a gentle hand on Hibari's shoulders, hoping to comfort.

"Kyouya? What's wrong?"

As usual, Dino's voice was warm. The trembling seemed to increase. It took Dino by surprise as he stepped away. While he was fretting over what his mistake was, Dino felt pain pressed against his cheek. It was the familiar feel of Hibari's tonfa. Now that he was directly hit, he was sure that he was at fault but the reason still remained unclear.

"Kyou—"

"I told you not to call me that," Hibari snapped, "And what's with the 'welcome home'? This isn't your house, herbivore!"

Dino was rubbing his cheek again, but was listening very carefully. He had thought that they had gotten close, but gestures and words of warmth and closeness still pushed them a little further away each time. The Don sighed but offered an apology instantly. It was better than undoing all of his hard work.

"Sorry…" he replied, "It's just… Kyouya is your name, right?"

"Hibari is also my name," retorted the raven stubbornly.

"But everyone calls you that," Dino pouted. "And you ignore them."

The raven was startled with the response. He hadn't expected Dino to retort like that. Of course Dino hadn't seen Hibari reply when called by his family name. The blonde didn't ever use it and whenever he saw it being used, it was coming from the mouth of an herbivore. If they were lucky, Hibari spared them the fear of receiving his gaze.

"That means you'll probably ignore me too," Dino added on.

Hibari had nothing to say to that. It was the truth. If Dino didn't use his first name, the raven probably would have ignored him like everyone else. He had told himself several times not to get worked up about the use of his first name but that was impossible. The closeness that it would imply if he let it pass annoyed him. In the end, Hibari was left speechless and stuck in an endless cycle of arguments with Dino—arguments that he had no chance of winning.

"The herbivore is waiting for you," he said—a poor way of changing the topic, "You've five seconds to leave before I bite you to death."

"Wait! That's _too _sudden. Weren't we just—"

A glare shut him up instantly. He did take his time though. He had noticed that so long as he got moving, Hibari didn't really count the seconds. The raven could be lenient if he wanted to be. Besides that, it was probably time to return to his subordinate's side. He had overstayed his invite. But there was nothing to feel bitter about. The Don had managed to pick up a few things, in addition to the swollen lump on his head.

The Don hide the smile carefully as he slipped on his shoes, "May I come visit again, Kyouya?"

The raven wasn't nearby but he had showed Dino the way. From the entrance, Dino could hear the clattering of a tea pot and the cup. There was no answer, but that wasn't outright rejection either. It looked like the Don had been ignored but from time to time, Hibari didn't bother correcting the way he was addressed. It could have been exhaustion but Dino wanted to believe that it was a growing weakness.

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

As usual, there was no distinct answer, but Dino always took silence as a good thing. Hibari wished for silence and so held his tongue. He knew that there would be a series of noises coming for his front door. The raven poured himself a cup of tea silently while closing his eyes with a sigh. As he had expected, there was a thud, a crash and a concerned voice from Romario. Everything else occurred in whispers until the car came and went. Then, the raven went about his activities as usual.

—

Dino's _soon_ was a lengthy period of time. He had lost track of it himself and not that Hibari was counting, but a lot had happened. Trouble always seemed to come crashing down on Sawada Tsunayoshi, his group of friends and the school. And it wasn't all that long ago that they had blown up some of the classroom thanks to Gokudera's recklessness.

The peace in Namimori was limited, but Hibari's alone time had increased as usual and everything seemed to fall back into place. As it had always been, the only ones that talked to him were the committee members and reluctant students who were forced to. Normally, he was grateful for his own time, but that meant that there were no distractions.

It wasn't very much like him but the perfect was still bothered by the voice that had welcomed him home. To be frank, the two words 'welcome home' were what bothered him the most. It had been a very long time since he had last heard the phrase and it had thrown him off completely. Those greeting words were something that the perfect held dear.

After all, he wasn't close to many but there were times when his parents would drop in to check up on him. Those words were the ones that he reserved for family but Dino certainly _wasn't_ family. However, even with family, his display of affection was limited. His parents were very much the same so it was easy for them to understand each other in silence but Dino was a completely different matter.

Dino was odd—unsatisfying so. As it had been back in Italy, the man was strong but still clumsy. It was almost as if nothing about their state of being had changed. The blonde rarely asked questions about it and liked to focus on the present. Hibari didn't mind that either—he just found that it was odd. Did Dino really have no questions at all?

But perhaps it was because there were no questions that they could still continue to meet without clashing _too_ much. The raven skylark enjoyed his privacy and often received it when he pushed for it hard enough. From their previous encounter, Dino had learnt that there was a line that he couldn't cross. Hibari appreciated that, but in his appreciation, failed to notice that the Don was finding loopholes instead.

The Don was just casually using the Japanese greetings as he saw fit while he was in the country. Hibari didn't mind that, so long as he wasn't the target, but he seemed to have been grouped with the rest of the Vongola. The blonde had been forced to come to an understanding but was still trying to create a bond through their relationship.

_What was their relationship anyway?_

The raven skylark still had a hard time understanding. Every time he tried to think about it, his head throbbed. It was a lot of work to try and see through the flimsy attitude. Their little training sessions were long over and Dino didn't need to show up at the school as often as he did, especially if he had nothing to do and was only going to be a waste of space. Besides that, did the blonde enjoy being abused?

The perfect rested his head on the table with a sigh and mentally told himself not to think any further. He shouldn't be anyway. The next time that he felt like Dino was annoying him; he should just bite the man to death. He had said enough and given the Don enough chances.

Peeling his face off the table, the raven perfect grabbed his blazer, tossed it over his shoulder and made a swift exit, switching the lights off and closing the door. That night, he slept another good one.

—

Sawada Tsunayoshi was early for once. The perfect felt good about it. He didn't have to add the herbivore to the list today and it saved him the trouble of punishing him. However, upon closer inspect, Hibari ended up writing the brunet's name down thrice, mentally. Tsuna had brought along trouble. Hibari threw a hardened glare as he passed.

"Bad mood this morning, Kyouya?" The Cavallone Boss greeted brightly.

Definitely and not in the mood to fight, thought the raven mentally as he brushed by. At the side of the gate, a committee member bowed at him. He returned it with a knowing nod and went on inside. Hibari wanted to lengthen the moment of peace a little longer. His footsteps were quick and they only continued like that until he managed to slam the door shut.

The perfect heard the groan of complaint but that only urged him to turn the lock on the door. There was some light knocking afterwards that he continued to ignore. After a few minutes, Hibari sighed in relief when the footsteps faded into the distance. At that moment, the raven paused, wondering why he felt that kind of relief to begin with.

It didn't make any sense for him to worry about something like that. Brushing it off quickly, with another inch of worry, the raven pulled out some papers and began to skim through them. For the most part, he was satisfied with the results that they brought and it was the same for his subordinates. Every time he looked out the window, the raven found that his committee members were working diligently.

The school was finally clear of any unauthorised persons and just knowing that, picked up Hibari's mood immediately. When lunch break came around, he left his office and went for his usual patrol. Once he was satisfied with the school's functioning, he made his way to the rooftop for his usual nap. And then he broke the cycle by waking up for his last two classes.

Occasionally, the raven would attend. It was often done on a whim and only when he felt like he may enjoy the content of the class. Sometimes, it was just fun to show up in class to throw both the students and the teacher off edge. A smirk danced on the raven's face as he made his way towards the classroom.

As he had expected, everyone was on the edge of their seats for the final two hours. But without any disorder, it seemed that everyone had, at the very least, picked up something from the class. Hibari made a happy exit and ended his day early. The work was done and he could do with some peace on the way home.

However, the chance of that was extremely low. He could feel it like an oncoming avalanche. But, now that he was free, Hibari didn't mind beating Dino to a pulp before going home. Placing a smirk onto his face, the raven skylark proceeded towards the gates and stood on watch. He checked the students' uniform thoroughly as they passed through the gates to go back home.

Having learnt his lesson from past encounters, Dino, who had been waiting, keep his mouth shut and watched as Hibari did his work. Hibari was always so serious about it, the Don often wondered what would happen if they had swapped their social positions around. Perhaps, all the paperwork would be completed easily or it could have just burnt under the raven's gaze. Surely, there were other things (aside from crowding) that got the raven's clock ticking.

In the end, Dino watched from his peripheral vision and conversed quietly with Tsuna at the exit. The brunet just smiled, ignoring Hibari's presence, certain that he can be protected by Dino should anything happen. But he did notice the slight changes in Hibari's attitude towards him. Tsuna had found himself wondering if Dino's training had caused the effect and perhaps it was a good time to ask. However, the future Vongola couldn't bring himself to say Hibari's name, especially when he was standing right next to him.

"O-oh," stuttered Tsuna nervously when he noticed that almost all of the students had left by now, "I'd better be off—"

Dino laughed heartily and leaned in a little closer to whisper, "Don't be scared! You're going to be the Boss; you should get along with your guardians!"

Tsuna froze on the spot, not wanting to think about that issue again. While he was busy sighing, Dino had turned quickly to Hibari and invited the raven to walk through the town together. Tsuna would have had a heart attack on the spot if the raven didn't outright reject with the reason of crowding (as usual).

"You are free to do as you wish," Hibari said, then paused, "Except destroy the town. But before that let's fig—"

"Wait! Miura-kun sends his thanks!" Dino interjected quickly. The Don didn't want to fight at all. He was still trying to get Tsuna and Hibari on better speaking terms. They needed it. "You helped him get to the reception, didn't you?"

Hibari raised a brow at the sudden change in topic but said nothing about it. He felt like he knew the name but couldn't put a face to it. First of all, he didn't understand how Miura had anything to do with this walk that Dino had been proposing.

"Don't tell me you—"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari said sternly, with stiff expressions, catching the brunet before he could make a swift escape.

Tsuna turned his head like a broken doll, "Y-Yes, Hibari-san?"

"Fix your tie." Hibari deadpanned.

"Y-Yes!" Tsuna exclaimed and reached for his neck immediately.

Once he had approved of the attire, Hibari closed the gates and then turned away. Tsuna could not rush. He did not dare to walk in front of the perfect but Dino was chasing after the raven while urging Tsuna to join in with the conversation. He politely declined and zoned out of the conversation, hoping that the choice would spare him of the perfect's wrath.

"Kyouya! We're all walking the same way anyway, don't be so gloomy!"

"Shut up unless you're offering to fight," Hibari replied, pushing forward.

"But… aren't you concerned, about your friend?"

The perfect stopped in his tracks immediately. The word 'friend' was too heavy and wrongly used for this context. Just thinking about being tied down by such a thing, annoyed him. In a short matter of seconds, Dino had backed away because the skylark had readied his tonfa for what was certainly going to be a painful blow. Tsuna had side-stepped, falling back into his old way of thinking that perhaps the two of them weren't on as good terms as he had been led to believe.

"K-Kyouya! I didn't mean it like that!" Dino was dodging while trying to justify his point, "I'm just—hey! Oh, I'm sorry—like I said—woah!"

It was more like a game of chase rather than a hit and miss. Dino's speed was to be recognised. The only response that Dino received was a hardened glare and even more effort put into hurting him.

"I was just passing on the message! C'mon, I didn't mean any harm." Dino frowned, side-stepping, "I had business you know! And I thought…"

Tsuna was frowning at this point, stepping further away but not completely leaving. For some reason, he felt like he'd have to drag a body to the hospital. The two went on at it, finally clashing weapons but hitting lightly enough to leave the environment undamaged. That was definitely a no-go zone. Tsuna attempted to slip away from the fighting and caught sight of the two children, Lambo and I-Pin coming near. He panicked instantly upon seeing the I-Pin chase and Lambo with his tongue outside. The combination wasn't good at all.

"Kyouya! Like I said—treasure, you know? Isn't it—ah! Interest—"

There was an explosion, much to Tsuna's dismay. When he had tried to call out to them, to tell them to dodge, his voice had broken under his throat and his hand was held mid-air. The smoke filled quickly and Lambo's cry could be heard clearly as he flew backwards because of the pressure. Tsuna was suddenly very scared. He had no idea who had been sent to them. If it was the raven perfect then the world was as good as done.


End file.
